After relocating a family of birds, who had claimed the picnic shelter as their home, construction quickly got under way. Eight months later, when Covid-19 first hit the North American shores, the construction crew barely missed a beat, continuing their work in a more “socially distanced” manner. In October of 2020, the facility was finally ready to receive its first visitors. There was only one problem. No outside visitors were allowed in the facility per the company’s safety protocols.
There were a few internal meetings held in a couple of the classrooms. A lab was occupied by the first-ever North American CLAAS apprentices. And, a small video crew roamed the building, making training videos for CLAAS technicians who had hoped to attend training in person. Meanwhile, the gleaming concrete floors of the two massive equipment bays stayed shiny.
Nearly a year later, in August of 2021, the CLAAS Academy finally opened its doors to the public. In attendance were Nebraska State Governor, Pete Ricketts, a small group of CLAAS dealers, a few dignitaries and the employees who watched the Academy throughout its construction. Still, there was someone missing . . .
After nearly two years of Covid-19, Chairwoman of the Shareholders Committee Cathrina Claas-Muhlhauser, and CLAAS Group Executive Board Member Christian Radons, were able to make the trip to North America. In a whirlwind tour they were able to attend Commodity Classic in New Orleans, see the CLAAS Parts facility in Columbus, IN, visit several CLAAS dealers in both the US and Canada, stop at a local Nebraska farm, and spend some time at the North American headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska.
On March 14th, in short ceremony with Nebraska State Governor, Pete Ricketts, Cathrina Claas-Muhlhauser finally got to make it “official” by unveiling a new plaque that declared the CLAAS Academy open. Definitely worth the wait . . .