CLAAS

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CLAAS LEXION combine

Claas combine harvester

Claas hay racke

Claas tractor, Claas forage harvester

CLAAS is an agricultural machinery manufacturer based in Germany. CLAAS agricultural products are usually sold under the CLAAS name, except in North America where CLAAS combines are distributed as LEXIONcombines by Caterpillar dealers. The CLAAS product range includes combine harvesters, forage harvesters, balers, mowers, rakes, tedders and other harvesting machines.

In 2004, CLAAS purchased the Renault Agricultural division from the France-based Renault company. In fiscal year 2005, sales of the CLAAS Group rose 12.8% to €2,175.3 million.

1 History
2 Products
3 External links

[edit] History

1913 Claas was founded by August Claas Clarholz/Germany
1919 Claas moved to Harsewinkel/Germany. The production of reapers started.
1921 First CLAAS patent for a knotter for efficient straw binding.
1930 Develoment of the first Claas combine harvester binders for the european market.
1934 Manufacture of the first Claas pick-up baler.
1936 CLAAS markets the first combine harvester built in Europe.
1937 The volume production of trailed combine harvester (reaper-binder) starts.
1946 Construction of the first Claas self-propelled combine harvester.
1956 New factory opened in Paderborn/Germany
1962 Claas opens first factory outside Germany – in Metz/France.
1969 Claas purchases Josef Bautz, (agri- cultural machinery factory), the product range expands to include green harvest machinery.
1971 Development of a pick-up sugar cane harvester.
1973 Presentation of the first self- propelled forage harvester.
1976 Introducion of the first CLAAS round baler ROLLANT.
1983 Introducion of JAGUAR self-propelled forage harvesters.
1988 Claas presents QUADRANT, the first CLAAS large-square baler.
1994 Start of development of AGROCOM a computer based, satellite-assisted, agricultural information system.
1995 Claas introduces the LEXION combine, the most powerful combine in the world (up to 40 tonnes of grain per hour).
2001 CLAAS Omaha/COL opened in 2001 and starts to produce the LEXION combine series. North American LEXION combines are distributed as CAT LEXION by Caterpillar dealers.
2003 CLAAS acquires RENAULT Agriculture and expands its product range with tractors.
2005 Claas open a new factory in Krasnodar in South Russia.
2006 Claas manufacture the 80,000th ROLLANT baler