“We would like to thank Leif for his many years of dedication, positive business results and personal commitment. The Americas Region has definitely contributed to the growth of CLAAS,” said Christian Radons, member of the Group Executive Board for CLAAS KgaA.

“Succession planning has been a priority of mine for quite some time. We have made significant progress in people and structure at our operations in the Americas. I think we have come up with a winning combination of talent to continue the growth for CLAAS in the region. This is the right time to pass on the leadership to Eric Raby,” explained Leif Magnusson.

Raby joined CLAAS of America in 2015 and has been the President and GM – Sales for CLAAS of America during that time. In addition to his responsibilities at CLAAS of America, Eric will assume leadership of CLAAS sales companies in Brazil and Argentina as well as importer markets throughout Latin America.

“There are certainly big shoes to fill in this new role, but Leif has equipped me and the entire team with the confidence and drive to continue the positive trajectory that has been established for CLAAS in North and South America under his watch,” said Eric Raby.

CLAAS is a leading supplier of rotary rakes and disc mowers. The portfolio features nine new rake models and one new mower designed from the ground up with innovative features and unique functions to make life easier for users while guaranteeing premium forage quality at high work rates.

New Four Rotor Center-Delivery LINER Rakes

In the BUSINESS models, the swath width can be hydraulically adjusted by ISOBUS operation and several swath widths can be stored in the terminal for optimum convenience. In the TREND models, the swath width can be adjusted in transport position without tools using a spring-loaded lever and hole matrix. All four rotors are driven mechanically and thus efficiently and directly by PTO. This increases the raking force by up to 50 percent compared to hydraulic drives. All rotors are fitted with individual friction clutches to protect against overload — they respond more smoothly than cam clutches and allow work to continue nonstop even during load peaks. The shaft speed in the two Y-gearboxes on the main frame has been reduced from 540 to 350 rpm to protect the drivetrain.

Large in the Field, Compact on the Road

The telescopic arms are fully retracted and folded up at 90 degrees to the main frame for road travel. Once the main frame has been hydraulically lowered, the 13-foot transport height is achieved without having to remove the tine arms. This reduces setup times since the machine can be folded into transport position and unfolded into working position in a matter of seconds without having to step down from the tractor. The front rotor suspension automatically locks in transport position for smooth road travel. The telescopic arms have an automatic transport lock which unlocks hydraulically in the BUSINESS models.

New Two Rotor Center-Delivery LINER Rakes

Like their predecessors, the latest generation LINER dual-rotor swathers offer excellent ground-contour following for clean raking with low ash contamination. The GRASS CARE rotor guidance system ensures that the rotors are actively suspended during operation. The BUSINESS model is equipped with individual rotor lift that is preselected on the terminal as standard; this function is optionally available for direct spool valve operation in the TREND models. With the LINER 2900 BUSINESS, the height of each rotor can be controlled separately using the preselection function on the ergonomic CEMIS 10 control unit and then actuating the tractor spool valve. As an option, the TREND version of the LINER two-rotor rake can be supplied with hydraulic rotor height adjustment with direct spool valve control. The LINER 3100, 2900 and 2800 adjust working width and swath width hydraulically and synchronously using the telescopic arms. On the LINER 2700 and 2600, it is adjusted mechanically.

ACTIVE FLOAT for LINER 2900 BUSINESS

ACTIVE FLOAT hydraulic rotor suspension is available exclusively on the LINER 2900 BUSINESS. This functions in a similar way to the suspension of the same name in the DISCO CONTOUR disc mowers. ACTIVE FLOAT is easily adjusted directly on the machine, with a gauge on the main frame indicating the pressure in the hydraulic circuits. The ground pressure of the rotor can be adapted precisely to the forage quantity and ground conditions by adjusting the suspension pressure. This ensures faster operating speeds and reduces ash contamination in the forage.

Completely New Rear DISCO 4400 CONTOUR Mower

Rear-mounted mowers with large working widths used in front-rear combinations can be an effective alternative to triple combinations, depending on the application. CLAAS has responded to many customers’ calls for a rear mower with a working width of more than 13 feet with the launch of the new DISCO 4400 CONTOUR. The mower features innovative diagonal 120-degree folding for safe, vertical road transport at a height of less than 13 feet and a space-saving storage position combined with powerful performance.

New 120° Vector Folding

A highlight for the DISCO 4400 CONTOUR is the unique vector folding: this allows the mower to be folded vertically to 120 degrees for transport position like the other models in the CONTOUR series. The unique part is that the mower can be folded backwards slightly using the hydraulic break-back ram, which allows the mower when folded for transport to lean backwards and reduce the transport height. So, despite having a working width of 13 feet 9 inches, the mower unit achieves a transport height of less than 13 feet for road travel. This gives the driver the choice of a vertical transport folding or leaning the mower backwards when folding to be under 13 feet high. At the same time, it is positioned diagonally behind the tractor and supported by the headstock, thereby shifting the center of gravity to the tractor’s longitudinal axle. When compared with mowers that pivot to the rear, this solution reduces the load on the tractor front axle by around 50 percent, which greatly improves transport handling. Furthermore, in transport position, the DISCO 4400 CONTOUR hardly swings back, making it easier to get into the field gate from a narrow road.

“We at CLAAS recognize the importance of continuing a high level of service and support. Therefore, we must train our dealer technicians in the best way possible,” says Adam Haworth, Director of Services, CLAAS of America. “The Academy will offer CLAAS dealers a premium training experience in a highly professional learning environment that features innovative technology.”

Three classrooms provide a focused learning environment and include advanced technology to host both on-site and virtual training to the CLAAS dealer network. Temperature-controlled equipment bays allow technicians to get practical, hands-on experience with the largest CLAAS machines, from LEXION combines to JAGUAR forage harvesters and AXION tractors.The academy expansion will also house the company’s workforce programs, which cultivate learning and engage the local community and technical schools through certification programs. The CLAAS Academy features an apprentice lab, home to the German-based ICATT apprenticeship program as well as the U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeship program.

“CLAAS is committed to growing the workforce within the ag industry,” says Felicia Nichelson, Head of Academy, CLAAS of America. “The Academy will support a wide variety of training priorities from service, product and parts training to internal sales and leadership development programs.”CLAAS Academy of North America will play an integral role in developing the industry-standard training pathway for dealers and technicians to follow. Dealers can be confident that when their staff attends CLAAS Academy, their teams will be better prepared to serve their customers who operate CLAAS machinery. To learn more about the all-new CLAAS Academy, visit www.claas.com.

“It is one thing to carry the CLAAS line of balers and hay tools, but it’s quite another to carry their complete line of self-propelled equipment,” explained Gary Klyn, founder of GJ’s Harvest Centre Inc. “The recent addition of CLAAS combines, forage harvesters and tractors meant that we needed a bigger, more sophisticated service department and more than 15,000 additional part numbers.”

While adding square footage, the dealership in Burgessville also added staff. “Our sales, service and parts departments all grew over the last year, and we added two new service vans to our fleet,” said Klyn.

In addition to increasing their quality of service to farmers in the Burgessville area, GJ’s Harvest Centre opened a second location in Milverton on May 1 to expand their overall footprint. “By opening the new store, we have been able to effectively expand our reach to include the communities in Perth, Huron, Wellington, Waterloo and Oxford counties.”

The Milverton location has a staff of sales, service and parts employees dedicated to the new location. It will carry the same, full line of equipment offered in Burgessville.

“We are very proud and excited to be a part of the expansion plans of GJ’s Harvest Centre,” said Eric Raby, President and General Manager – Sales, CLAAS of America. “They have long been an excellent representative of the CLAAS brand. Now, by adding the full line of CLAAS products and broadening their coverage in southwestern Ontario, they are set to be an essential resource for a very important and growing farm community.”

To learn more about GJ’s Harvest Centre Inc., visit gjsharvestcentre.com.