Kuhn North America, Inc.
The Kuhn Group offers a wide choice of specialized agricultural machinery to meet customers’ specific needs. Kuhn produces innovative, high quality and high value equipment that will provide returns for our customers’ operations regardless of geographic location. Kuhn is renowned worldwide for Hay Tools, which includes a total system of Mowers, Mower Conditioners, Tedders, Rakes and Mergers. Kuhn also manufactures a broad range of Tillage Tools for seedbed preparation that includes Power Tillers, Power Harrows, Disk Harrows, Plows and Fertilizer Spreaders. In addition, Kuhn offers a range of shredding and landscape maintenance equipment that will satisfy the most demanding professionals.
Company details
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- Business Type:
- Distributor
- Industry Type:
- Agriculture
- Market Focus:
- Globally (various continents)
History
Joseph Kuhn founded a village forge in 1828. From that beginning, the company has evolved to become one of the largest manufacturers of agricultural implements in the world.
The first Kuhn-produced machines were distributed in North America in the 1960s. The initial sales were in the Northeast United States and Canada. As the business grew, sales expanded to other parts of the United States and Canada, where Kuhn pioneered markets and introduced new products such as disc mowers, disc mower conditioners, and rotary rakes that improved various farming techniques. Kuhn Farm Machinery, Inc., the Kuhn North American distribution company, was incorporated in the United States in 1976, in Vernon, New York, a small farming community in the heart of upstate New York. The facility occupies a 25,000 sq. ft building that underwent a major expansion and renovation in 1990.
In 1988, Kuhn purchased the business of its former warehouse and sales representative in Quebec, Canada. This business, located in Ste-Madeleine, Quebec, later became Machinerie de Ferme Kuhn, the company's Canadian subsidiary.
In 1997, Kuhn proceeded with the construction of a brand new 28,000 sq. ft Distribution Center in Columbia, Tennessee, for the warehousing of machines and service parts, to serve the South and Central U.S. market areas.
The Creation of Kuhn Knight
In December 2002, Kuhn purchased Knight Manufacturing Company, based in Brodhead, Wisconsin. Stan Knight, a local dairy farmer, founded the company in 1945 as Brodhead Machine Welding Company, which became Knight Manufacturing Company in 1952.
Kuhn Knight has a rich tradition of designing and manufacturing innovative, reliable, and high-quality products for the farm industry. The first major challenge came from an Iowa customer in 1949 who said, “I wish someone would make a spreader that would not break down in frozen manure.” This was the birth of the company's apron box spreader line.
The 1960s saw the birth of the “Auggie”, the company’s entry into the feed mixer market. The original mixer was a three-auger design that enabled producers to provide a total mixed ration for their livestock. Most of these early machines were sold to beef producers. The 1970s was a decade of accelerated growth, with several new spreader and mixer models introduced.
The 1980s brought challenges because of the downturn in the agricultural economy. However, new key products were introduced during these years that are still produced in high numbers today, such as the Slinger side-discharge manure spreader and the Reel Auggie TMR mixer. As the economy rallied in the 1990s, the Company responded with renewed development and plant expansions. In 1995, Knight purchased the Botec Company, based in Greeley, Colorado. Botec specialized in manufacturing large horizontal 4-auger TMR mixers designed for large farm operations in the western United States.
Since the acquisition by Kuhn in 2002, the company has increased its product offerings in mixing and spreading, and introduced new products such as the SpeedRake wheel rake line, and the MergeMaxx windrow merger line. Three major plant expansions took place in between 2004 and 2008, more than tripling the available manufacturing space.
Kuhn in North America Today
In January 2008, Kuhn Farm Machinery and Kuhn Knight merged to form Kuhn North America, Inc. Today, Kuhn markets over 10,000 machines per year in North America. Kuhn machines and service parts are sold under the Kuhn and Kuhn Knight brands, and are distributed in the US and Canada through a retail network of over 1,000 independent farm equipment dealers.
Over 500 Kuhn North America employees work at the company's headquarters in Brodhead, Wisconsin; at four regional distribution centers in Colorado, New York, Tennessee, and Washington; and at a subsidiary, Machinerie de Ferme Kuhn in Quebec, Canada. Kuhn North America's employees are dedicated to providing quality products and excellent customer service to dealers and retail customers.
As a result of its rich and diverse history, Kuhn has achieved North American and worldwide leadership in many of its product segments, including hay tools, TMR mixers, and manure handling equipment.
Agricultural requirements are constantly changing and the demand for quality products and services continues to grow. Today, more than ever before, Kuhn strives to ensure the availability of the best machine to satisfy the changing demands of the marketplace. Kuhn is dedicated to serving agriculture now and in the future with quality products, parts and service.