Press release MKT/SL

LAVERDA confirms its progress in France

Breganze, 22.02.2007. The 2005-2006 sales campaign allowed Laverda to regain an important standing in the French combine-harvester market.
“We are completely satisfied with the results we obtained in 2005-2006,” declared Fabrice Rondeau, Laverda’s sales manager in France, “and to date, now we’re halfway through the 2006-2007 sales campaign, in a favourable climate thanks to a series of positive factors that should sustain and encourage the investments (grain prices on the upswing, the prices of beef and pork well placed), Laverda’s sales balance is also developing soundly”.
To maintain this growth and the French customers’ renewed trust in the brand, Laverda’s commitment reaches in many directions .
When it comes to the sales aspects, Laverda has added to the ranks of its sales force and this should shortly allow the network to be managed in a better way. The response from the team will be more prompt, while there will be greater all-round mastery over the marketing tools and closer relations with the customers.
We will be developing a direct promotion and marketing policy that will boost the image of our products and ensure that they are more widely available.
Intensive technical-business training programmes will also ensure that our dealers’ skills are always right on the mark because, as Rondeau affirms, “we must distinguish ourselves in a farming world that changes and adapts very quickly to new input from the market.” Performance, efficacy, relations and prompt responses: these are the key words.
Speaking of the network, we intend to be even more present. This is why we nominated new dealers during the previous year. But considering the interest shown by a fair number of new candidates, the French management, in direct contact with the parent company, will now be selecting a lots of new dealers for the current business year so as to develop the Laverda brand in France to an even greater extent. “We’re on the lookout for new opportunities and examine all requests for distribution in areas that are still without dealers, or ones with dealers who are unable to satisfactorily develop our brand on the long-term,” said Rondeau.
“Since we’re independent, we can choose our recruits: the newcomers must necessarily have the makings of people who deal with harvesting, something that hasn't always occurred. Development synergy," added the French sales manager, “functions and remains a priority with the rest of the Argo Group when a nomination appears possible and proves feasible with one of the group’s tractor brands and products”.
When it comes to the product, the exemplary quality and reliability of Laverda’s combines are recognized everywhere. “The renewed trust we have witnessed in France from users of all makes of combine harvesters stems from this,” said Rondeau.
Thanks to the work that has been done from the time the Laverda plant was acquired by the Argo Group in 2000, we are now able to offer an extremely diversified array of products: there are 4 ranges with 20 models available in 34 different versions. This means that we are fully able to satisfy the demand for conventional machines from France and the rest of the world.
Indispensable partners where work must be carried out on steep slopes, the Levelling System combines are a real reference point for their users when it comes to reliability and profitability.
The medium range, with the LCS series launched during the previous season, now includes a new addition, the 296 LCS model, which has been very well received by both the network and the customers.
“Laverda’s combines,” concluded Rondeau, “are reliable machines that are simple to use and that provide an optimum performance. These, plus the undeniable advantage of truly low routine maintenance costs, are the features that allow us to make the difference on the field and will certainly continue to do so”.

For further info:

Simonetta Lambrocco
Communication and Public Relations Manager
Laverda S.p.A. – Via F. Laverda, 15/17 – 36042 Breganze (VI)
Tel.: 0445/385305
Fax: 0445/385593
e-mail: simonetta.lambrocco@laverdaworld.com