The Beauvais factory in France, Massey Ferguson’s tractor plant since 1960, has produced its one-millionth tractor. The milestone comes in the same year the company celebrates its 175th year.
At an event to mark this milestone, Thierry Lhotte, vice-president & managing director of Massey Ferguson EAME & president of AGCO in France underlined: “Our Beauvais Massey Ferguson Global Home has grown continuously over the past 62 years, working with and for farmers. On behalf of all our employees, I want to thank our customers for their everlasting trust.
“We are particularly proud to have them represented today by the owner of this brand-new MF 8S.305 Dyna-VT, the 1,000,000th tractor produced in Beauvais, Mr Thierry Aubrée, arable farmer and contractor, in the village of La Chapelle des Fougeretz in Brittany, France and his local Dealer Hervé Motoculture.”
Mr Aubrée explained why he chose MF as his new tractor: “I’m passionate about new technologies including RTK guidance, section control with a focus on soil preservation and sustainable farming practices.
“The MF 8S exudes this modernity thanks to its efficient engine, smooth transmission, perfect wheelbase and offers visibility, cab comfort and precision farming connectivity capabilities. Operating my entire MF fleet of 4 tractors, 3 combines, 2 big balers and 1 telehandler, I found a great win-win partnership with my MF dealer based on common trust.”
“With my team, we feel extremely lucky to represent the entire MF dealer network handing over to Mr Aubrée the 1,000,000th tractor from the Beauvais Factory. This is a one once in a lifetime moment as there is only one 1,000,000th tractor from Beauvais and we wish long and productive hours of work to Mr Aubrée.”, said Jérome Mazière, managing director at Hervé Motoculture, the Massey Ferguson dealership serving areas in Côtes d’Armor and Ille-et-Villaine in the region of Brittany, France.
“We are extremely proud of this 40-year partnership with Massey Ferguson and grateful for the great welcome our customer received as well as the opportunity we had to see how the Beauvais site continues to deploy its new activities at an impressive pace despite the past 2 challenging years. This will support our farmer’s needs.”, added Jérôme Mazière.
Celebrating 62 years of production in Beauvais by committed workers
Boussad Bouaouli, vice-president of manufacturing, Beauvais, emphasized the employee’s commitment to the Beauvais MF Campus development: “From 1960, There have always been people who kept the site moving, always with the right farmer first focus to address challenges of the times and, above all, with a clear view to the future.”
Production started with the MF 825 in 1960. Since then, the site has grown continuously, producing tractors such as the MF 3000 series in 1986, the first tractor with on-board electronics, the MF 8600 in 2008, introducing the efficient power concept reducing environmental impact courtesy of the first use of SCR technology on an agricultural machine, and in 2020, the new MF 8S, with its award-winning Protect-U concept with its 24cm gap between the cab and the engine installation, reducing heat, noise and vibrations being transmitted to the cab, and improving cooling and performance.
It received the Tractor of the Year 2021, Red Dot: Product Design 2021 and Farm Machine 2022 awards.
“Our roots have been in Beauvais for 62 years now. This plant, named Factory of the Year 2016 is at the origin of our modern times and the overall new MF Campus sets our future and new standards”, said Mr Bouaouli. “From 2010, the site drove a deep transformation through the implementation of Lean Manufacturing, contributing to improved quality and response to the growing demand of our customers.
“In 2013 we started our factory extension programme with the start of the Beauvais 2 cab assembly line and accelerated from 2019 reintegrating activities, through vertical integration. It started with our Logistic centre and the launch in 2020 of further advanced activities. These include a Tractor Customisation Workshop, enabling owners to tailor tractors to their needs, together with an additive manufacturing facility for small parts and prototypes using 3D printing.
“We also developed in-house production of hydraulic components (1,340 parts references) as well as gearbox reconditioning, the printing of all of our tractors’ stickers (300 references) and more recently the launch of a new unit to produce our fuel and AdBlue® tanks: 4 references for the moment, and still ramping up to achieve our final goal of providing tanks for all our AGCO facilities in Europe. Up to 100 tractors can be produced and shipped, every day, to our dealers with 80% exported to more than 70 countries. We produce series from the MF 4700 M, MF 5700M, MF 5S, MF 6S, MF 7S, MF 8S and MF 8700 S. All powers from 75 to 405 hp and all types of transmissions.”
“As we handover this 1,000,000th tractor, we are about to unify our sites into one single 54 ha MF Campus with all our departments under one roof: Manufacturing, Engineering, Purchasing, Customer Support, Parts, Sales & Marketing, Product Management, Finance, Legal and HR”, added Mr Lhotte. ”This offers high flexibility and the unique experience, skills and commitment of the people who work here. They are the driving force behind everything that happens and this 1,000,000th tractor milestone is our 2,500 employee’s success, including our GIMA transmissions’ Joint Venture.”
The MF Campus will continue to develop new activities, and state-of-the-art working conditions for its employees and first and foremost create and launch new products in the months to come. “This will keep the Beauvais MF Campus competitive and ensure it remains a farmer focussed site, anchored in the Beauvais City and acting in a sustainable manner towards its local and global communities”, added Mr Lhotte.
Caroline Cayeux, Mayor of Beauvais highlights the fact that the MF Campus has continued to evolve in parallel with the commercial and residential area surrounding it and remains the main employer of the City: “The Beauvais Massey Ferguson’s factory has played a significant role in Massey Ferguson’s success story, which spans 62 years in Beauvais. On behalf of the Beauvais community, I am pleased that AGCO plans to further develop its Global Home of Massey Ferguson in Beauvais in an innovative and sustainable way, being fully part of our local urban development, driving sustainable transformation and innovation toward carbon footprint reduction and digitalization.
“This is a strong commitment to the Beauvais area as a business location and to securing and creating new jobs in our city in the long term. All my sincere congratulations to the MF team for the 1,000,000th tractors produced in Beauvais and to the next million to come”