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Helmut Claas held the position of Chairman of the Shareholders' Committee for 25 years. During this time, CLAAS intensified its international presence in countries beyond Europe. New production and sales locations were opened in India, the USA, Russia, China, South America and elsewhere. An important strategic milestone was reached in 2003 with the acquisition of the French tractor manufacturer Renault Agriculture.

This period also coincided with the development of the flagship LEXION combine harvester, which was introduced to the market in 1995. This is still considered the most advanced and capable combine harvester worldwide and was relaunched in 2019 as a completely revamped machine. The JAGUAR, a self-propelled forage harvester, became yet another success story, and CLAAS rose to the position of market leader in this segment.

The transition to the third generation is now complete with the election of Cathrina Claas-Mühlhäuser as Chairwoman of the Shareholders' Committee. The Committee sets the strategic direction of the family business and works closely with the Group Executive Board. It consists of the external members Christian Boehringer, Dr Frank Dreves, Arne Lakeit, Gerd Peskes, Carl-Albrecht Bartmer and the family members Cathrina Claas-Mühlhäuser, Dr Patrick Claas, Volker Claas and Helmut Claas.

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About CLAAS

CLAAS (www.claas-gruppe.com) is a family business founded in 1913 and one of the world's leading manufacturers of agricultural technology. The company, with its headquarters in Harsewinkel in Germany, is the European market leader in combine harvesters. CLAAS is the world leader in another large product group, self-propelled forage harvesters. CLAAS is also a top performer in agricultural technology worldwide, with its tractors, agricultural balers and green harvesting machinery. Our product range also includes cutting-edge agricultural information technology. CLAAS employs more than 11,400 people worldwide and reported turnover of EUR 3.8 billion in the fiscal year 2019.

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"We couldn’t be more thrilled to expand our presence in southern Alberta,” said Jason Wilson, President & CEO, Alberta AG Centre. “It has always been our top priority to provide our CLAAS customers with exceptional customer service, reliable parts inventory and factory-trained service technicians, along with new in-stock units.”

Alberta AG Centre offers the entire North American lineup of CLAAS agricultural equipment along with other product lines to meet the demands of Alberta farmers. Each store features a full stock of parts, a knowledgeable sales team, and a complement of skilled technicians. Alberta AG Centre places a strong emphasis on customer service and strives to build long-term relationships with their local growers.

“Alberta AG represents what it means to be a long-line CLAAS dealer, and we are excited for their expanded presence in the region,” said Eric Raby, President and General Manager – Sales, CLAAS of America. “Southern Alberta remains an important market for CLAAS, and with this additional territory, we are able to continue our growth and expand our brand’s reach due to their hard work and relationships they’ve built with growers in the area.”

Alberta AG Centre is a trusted flagship dealer for CLAAS, selling the long line of equipment for more than 3 1/2 years. The partnership focuses on growing and supporting the existing business in the Western Canadian market. For more information on Alberta AG Centre and their CLAAS equipment offerings, visit ab-ag.ca.

About CLAAS of America Inc.:

CLAAS of America Inc. offers a wide variety of technologically innovative tractor, combine, forage harvester, baler and hay tool products to provide growers optimum performance in the field. These premium equipment lines are designed by a dedicated engineering staff located at numerous factories worldwide and focused on the production and design of harvesting equipment. The design, performance and reliability of this equipment have made CLAAS an international market leader. For more information, visit www.claas.com.

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Of greater interest to some was whether all that added productivity would come at the expense of grain quality. “We’ve always been known for our throughput and fuel efficiency,” explains Jeff Gray, Product Manager – Field Support at CLAAS of America. “In order to test our grain handling capability, we hired an independent firm to analyze grain samples in a head-to-head-to-head comparison of Class 8 machines between the CLAAS LEXION 8600, John Deere S780 and Case IH 8250 in two different varieties of soybeans.”

The three machines were dialed in to factory recommended settings and allowed to run at their full engine load in the side-by-side comparison. Samples were collected, packaged and sent to the Illinois Crop Improvement Association, Inc. to be analyzed for splits, coating damage, and germination.

According to Gray, “Splits are an easy way to gauge a combine’s sample quality and fine-tune settings, just as coating damage is a way to gauge germination. Less coating damage leads to higher germination, which is critical -- especially in seed-producing operations.”

While the differences in splits appeared competitive between the three different machines, the LEXION 8600 actually produced less coating damage and higher germination rates than the competing machines, according to the tests conducted on a central Illinois farm. “We were able to deliver premium quality grain samples, while still keeping our grain losses under one percent,” added Gray.

With greater capacity and proven grain quality, testing done by the Illinois Crop Improvement Association left little doubt that the new LEXION combine can deliver competitive grain quality, while still providing industry-leading throughput.

About CLAAS of America Inc.:

CLAAS of America Inc. offers a wide variety of technologically innovative tractor, combine, forage harvester, baler and hay tool products to provide growers optimum performance in the field. These premium equipment lines are designed by a dedicated engineering staff located at numerous factories worldwide and focused on the production and design of harvesting equipment. The design, performance and reliability of this equipment have made CLAAS an international market leader. For more information, visit www.claas.com.

Wireless Irrigation Technologies began its agricultural equipment sales in 2015, with the opening of Shoemaker Irrigation Supply. Shoemaker Irrigation Supply has two dealership locations in Athens, Georgia, and Aiken, South Carolina, along with a parts depot in Statesboro, Georgia. The company’s third dealership, Southern Sales and Rentals, is located in Albany, Georgia. Wireless Irrigation Technologies plans to expand its presence even further, with its sights set on central Georgia and northern Florida.

"We are extremely excited about the opportunity to represent the full CLAAS line in the Southeastern region. Providing the CLAAS customer with exceptional service, reliable parts inventory and factory-trained service technicians, along with new machines, are our main objectives,” said David Shoemaker, owner of Shoemaker Irrigation Supply and Southern Sales and Rentals. “The quality of the CLAAS equipment is second to none, and we look forward to representing the brand."

The locations in Athens, Albany and Aiken will offer the full line of CLAAS equipment, including parts and service.

“We recognize that Shoemaker Irrigation Supply and Southern Sales and Rentals along with CLAAS serve a common customer in the agricultural industry,” said Eric Raby, President and General Manager – Sales, CLAAS of America. “Working together to help make today's modern operations more efficient is a task we welcome and are extremely excited about.”

To find a Shoemaker Irrigation Supply dealership near you, visit www.shoemakerirrigationsupply.com. For more information on Southern Sales & Rentals, visit www.yanmarsouthern.com.

About CLAAS of America Inc.:

CLAAS of America Inc. offers a wide variety of technologically innovative tractor, combine, forage harvester, baler and hay tool products to provide growers optimum performance in the field. These premium equipment lines are designed by a dedicated engineering staff located at numerous factories worldwide and focused on the production and design of harvesting equipment. The design, performance and reliability of this equipment have made CLAAS an international market leader. For more information, visit www.claas.com.

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