page_title: AGCO
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: AGCO / History
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Case-Traktor mit Hesston-Rundballenpresse 5670 beim Ablegen eines soeben gepressten Rundballens; Heuernte in Herschweiler-Pettersheim, Deutschland English: Case IH tractor with Hesston 5670 round baler in Herschweiler-Pettersheim, Germany
context_page_description: AGCO Corporation is an American agricultural machinery manufacturer with its headquarters in Duluth, Georgia, United States.
context_section_description: AGCO was established in 1990 when executives at Deutz-Allis bought out Deutz-Allis North American operations from the parent corporation Klockner-Humboldt-Deutz AG (KHD), a German company that owned the Deutz-Fahr brand of agriculture equipment. KHD had purchased portions of the Allis-Chalmers agricultural equipment business five years earlier.
  The company was first called Gleaner-Allis Corporation, then rearranged to be Allis-Gleaner Corporation, or AGCO.  The Deutz-Allis line of tractors were renamed AGCO-Allis, and Gleaner became a brand of its own for combines.  The Deutz-Allis brand continued in South America until 2001, when they were renamed AGCO-Allis. In 2001, AGCO Allis was renamed AGCO in North America.
  In March 1991, AGCO purchased the Hesston Corporation gaining hay and forage equipment as well as technologies such as the grain auger (used to unload grain quickly from combines), invented in 1947 by Lyle Yost.  Hesston had a 50 percent joint venture with Case International, now a part of CNH Global.  AGCO purchased the White Tractor line from the Allied Corporation's White-New Idea company.  In 1993, AGCO purchased the remainder of White-New Idea, gaining New Idea hay equipment, manure spreaders, White planters, from a large manufacturing plant operating in Coldwater, Ohio.
  Also in 1993, AGCO purchased the North American distribution rights to Massey Ferguson, a worldwide agricultural equipment company.  In 1994, they purchased McConnell Tractors, manufacturer of the large articulated Massey Ferguson tractors.  AGCO developed the Agcostar line of articulated tractors.  Later in 1994, the Black Machine line of planters was purchased.
  1995 saw the purchase of the AgEquipment Group, which manufactured tillage equipment and loaders under the Glenco, Tye and Farmhand brands.  In 1996, acquisitions went international with the purchase of Iochpe-Maxion in Brazil.  This was the Brazilian company that had rights to the Massey Ferguson brand and manufacturing in the region, as well as the Maxion brand of industrial equipment.  This was also the year that AGCO purchased Deutz Argentina, the number one leader of tractors in Argentina.  Also in 1996, AGCO purchased Western Combine Corporation and Portage Manufacturing in Canada.  Western Combine had previously purchased the assets of the Massey Combine Corporation's combine operation, which had been spun off by Massey-Ferguson.
  1997 was the year of the major purchase of Fendt in Germany, the leading German tractor company.  Fendt is well known for its advanced technology.  AGCO also acquired Dronningborg Industries in Denmark, the manufacturer of European Massey-Ferguson combines, and former manufacturer of Dronningborg combines.
  In 1998, AGCO made a joint venture with Deutz AG to produce engines in Argentina, and purchased the Spra-Coupe and Willmar companies.  Spra-Coupe and Willmar are leading sprayer companies in North America.  SpraCoupe originated in Bismarck, ND.  Upon purchase by AGCO, the manufacturing of SpraCoupes was moved to Willmar, Minnesota where the Willmar branded fertilizer tenders and "Wrangler" articulated loaders were being manufactured.  SpraCoupe and Willmar products were manufactured in Willmar from 1998 to 2001.
  For the year 2000, AGCO bought out its partner CNH Global N.V. in the Hay and Forage Industries joint venture.
  In 2001, AGCO purchased Ag-Chem Equipment, expanding its application equipment business.  Ag-Chem Equipment was based in Jackson, Minnesota and developed the TerraGator flotation-type and RoGator rowcrop-type applicators.  Also that year, the SpraCoupe and Willmar brands moved their manufacturing from Willmar, MN to the Jackson, Minnesota facility and the Agco-Allis and White tractor lines were merged in North America under the AGCO brand, continuing in the orange color.
  2002 was the year that AGCO purchased rights to the Challenger name and the tracked tractors from the Caterpillar Corporation, giving the firm a well-known brand name and high-power tracked tractors.   The firm further developed the Challenger line into: wheeled 
caption: Hesston 5670 round baler, in 2010
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