Diesel Progress North America

GLOBAL BUSINESS NOTES dp

CNH And Kobelco Unwind … No More
SpraCoupes For AGCO … Morbark Adds Line
… New Owner For Linde Hydraulics … Generac
And Perkins … Charter Buys Dura-Bar …

CNH Global N.V. said it has begun moving into the next phase of agreements with Kobelco Construction Machinery Co. Ltd. Under new, nonexclusive licensing and supply agreements that took effect Jan. 1, CNH and Kobelco are “unwinding” their joint ownership and equity participations in all the companies formed in connection with their previous alliance and eliminating any geographical exclusivity rights associated with their agreements.

CNH said it will continue to manufacture hydraulic excavators incorporating current Kobelco technology at its Calhoun, Ga.; San Mauro, Italy; and Belo Horizonte, Brazil, manufacturing facilities and will continue to source select models, including short-radius excavators, from Kobelco in Japan for no less than five years and component parts no less than10 years.

Moving forward, CNH said it will market full-sized excavators featuring Kobelco technology under its New Holland Construction brand and compact excavators under its New Holland Construction and Case Construction Equipment brands.

AGCO announced it will discontinue production of its line of SpraCoupe self-propelled sprayers for the North American market. Production of all SpraCoupe models will continue through May 2013. AGCO said it will continue to manufacture parts and service support will be available from dealers. Tier 4 compliance costs and the growing number of larger farms were cited as reasons for halting production of these smaller sprayers. AGCO will continue to build its RoGator and TerraGator branded machines.

AGCO also has begun production of
agricultural equipment at its joint ven-
ture facility in Africa. The first Massey
Ferguson tractors are being produced
Constantine, Algeria, at Algerian Trac-
tors Co., a joint venture between AGCO
and L’Entreprise Publique Economique
de Production de Tracteurs Agricoles
and L’Entreprise Publique Economique
de Commercialisation de Matériels Ag-
ricoles. AGCO owns 49% of the opera-
tion, which was formed earlier this year.