Breganze June 04, 2009. The Breganze joint venture between Argo, the Italian group specializing in the manufacture of tractors and agricultural machinery, and Agco, American multinational and leading player worldwide in its sector, closed 2008 with extremely positive results. The balance sheet for Laverda exceeded 124 million euros, equivalent to an increase of 25% on like-for-like turnover for the previous year. This result was due to the 1,040 combine harvesters sold during the financial year (+28% on 2007), whilst consolidated turnover for Laverda and the German company Fella GmbH (specializing in hay-making machines and 100% controlled by the Breganze company) was up 20% on 2007 at 179 million euros.

The Breganze plant production system is geared to a ‘model mix’ process. This allows the company to produce a variety of machines without requiring minimum batch numbers, and recently benefited from a newly-implemented logistics-flow based on the principle of “milk-run”. This system foresees a particularly effective and rational assembly line supply in order to provide a quicker response to the market. Due to these two factors, and despite the fact that market conditions have forced Laverda to review production volume in order to bring it into line with reduced demand, the company has managed to maintain the current workforce on long-term contracts and most of those on temporary or short-term contracts. This allows the company to safeguard the professional skills currently acquired by workers and remain in a position to take full advantage of future opportunities (with the expectation that there will be an improvement in market conditions in the near future). Confident in this opportunity Laverda is developing other important actions aimed at strengthening welding operations and further increasing the flexibility of assembly lines.

The current financial crisis has undoubtedly had an impact on the company’s reference market. However, Laverda forecasts being able to successfully limit any unduly negative impact thanks to its consolidated position in those markets hit to a lesser degree by the crisis, and its ability align its product mix with actual customer demand.

The established consolidated range of combine harvesters, LCS Series, Rev Series, Levelling System and Self-levelling Series, equipped with the exclusive Laverda system offering GSAX – Ground Self Alignment Extra – for automatic longitudinal and transverse alignment of the cutting body and platform, PFR, Prepare and Feeding Roller, for constant feeding and regulated flow of the product from the cutting platform to the threshing equipment, MCS Plus, for more effective threshing operations, or the Rev module, will soon be further enriched by an updated M series and new generation of cutting platforms; confirmation of the company’s constant research into, and development of, new solutions to meet customer requirements.

For further information:

Simonetta Lambrocco
Communication and Public Relations Manager
Laverda S.p.A. – Via F. Laverda, 15/17 – 36042 Breganze (VI)
Tel.: +39 0445 - 385 305
Fax: +39 0445 - 385 593
Mob.: +39 335 84 55 892
e-mail: simonetta.lambrocco@laverdaworld.com