AGCO-Amity JV, LLC (AAJV), the company that markets the well-known brand names of Concord, Wil-Rich and Wishek, has been acquired by Väderstad AB.
Väderstad AB has acquired 100 percent of AAJV and will be fully integrating it into the Väderstad global group of companies under the name Vaderstad Inc. Founded in 1962 by Rune and Siw Stark, Väderstad AB is a family-owned company based in Väderstad, Sweden, and currently has more than 1,550 employees in 40 countries.
AAJV, based in Wahpeton, N.D., and well-known by its brand name Wil-Rich, was formed in 2011 through a 50/50 joint venture between AGCO Corporation and Amity Technology for the continued manufacturing of seeding and tillage products under the Concord, Wil-Rich & Wishek brand names. Some of those products have also been offered under AGCO’s Sunflower and Massey Ferguson brands around the world. Today, AAJV has 110 employees, and is partnered with 270 dealers globally, most of them in the U.S.
The acquisition is Väderstad’s second large investment in the North American market. In 2013, the company took full control over Canadian-based Seed Hawk, after having been part-owners since 2006. That company, based in Langbank, Saskatchewan, is now Väderstad Industries Inc. and produces the Seed Hawk precision air drill for the North American market.
“This acquisition is in line with our long-term ambition to grow in the North American market,” says Väderstad CEO Mats Båverud. “AAJV has a strong position on the U.S. market combined with a product portfolio that gives us a more complete product offering in North America. This was an excellent opportunity to increase our footprint in the U.S. Our vision remains the same: to be the world’s leading partner for an outstanding emergence. With the acquisition of AAJV we’re even more excited about the future.”
“We are pleased to join the Väderstad family,” says Keith Whitaker, current CEO of AAJV. “This is a great day for the company, the community and our employees. The combination of our highly skilled team and Väderstad’s solid and extensive experience will enable the company to provide a broad set of agronomic solutions for our farmer customers while achieving our growth objectives with our dealer partners.”
Jason Strobbe has been appointed as the new managing director for Vaderstad Inc. Strobbe also holds the position of vice president of sales and marketing at Väderstad Industries Inc.