For 20 years now, most CLAAS tractors have been manufactured at our factory in Le Mans, France. During that time, the production process has continuously evolved. This ongoing development ensures customer loyalty. Farmer Pascal Paumier benefits in particular from being close to his manufacturer of choice.

For decades Pascal Paumier has farmed just nine miles away from the CLAAS tractor factory in Le Mans. And he has his work cut out for him. On his 1100-acre mixed farm he grows 370 acres of corn, 220 acres of wheat, 60 acres of canola and 15 acres of barley, as well as 345 acres of pasture for his 450 cattle. On top of that, he has four poultry sheds measuring 4,300 square feet each. Together with his wife Sylvie, who is always at his side, they own and operate the farm. And two years ago, their son Adrien and an employee joined them.

Many hands lighten the load, but Pascal Paumier would not get very far without his powerful machines. No fewer than three CLAAS tractors help him and his family with their work. An ARION 620 has been a faithful companion since 2011. Then in 2016 he bought the AXION 830 for heavy work. Finally, in 2021 Pascal Paumier added an ARION 650 to his fleet. For harvesting he relies on his TUCANO 450 and VARIANT 480 round baler.

Pascal Paumier remains loyal to CLAAS for two main reasons. First, he is delighted with the design and workmanship of his CLAAS machines: “I especially appreciate how comfortable the cabs are.“ And secondly, his close proximity to the CLAAS factory is a real advantage for him—not least because it helps the environmentally minded farmer reduce his emissions for shipments.

Enduring tradition, forward-thinking production

In 2003, exactly 20 years ago, CLAAS acquired Renault Agriculture’s tractor factory in Le Mans. The site has long been associated with agriculture in the region: the first tractor rolled off the assembly line in the 1930s—a success story going back almost 100 years. With around 1,000 employees, CLAAS now rolls out 10,000 machines every year on over 750,000 square feet of floor space. That’s 50 tractors a day!

In the two decades that CLAAS has been manufacturing tractors in this city in northwestern France, the focus has always been on people. Of course, that means the customer first and foremost, but the plant also focuses on its own people, too. After all, continuous further development in production is primarily geared to ensuring that employees feel comfortable so that they can achieve the best results. In 2017, the factory was therefore extensively remodeled, and a dark, cramped-looking hall was transformed into an open, bright workplace. This improved the workers’ well-being and motivation. In addition, of course, other things, such as the logistics system, were modernized. But even when it comes to IT upgrades, the CLAAS factory in Le Mans always focusses on the people: “We define Industry 4.0 by asking: which digital systems help people to work better? We always have our employees in mind when considering changes,” says Sébastien Paté, Head of Lean Strategy in Le Mans.

Looking outward, the CLAAS factory in Le Mans uses its technical innovations to actively involve customers in the development process. Over the course of 20 years, the site has built up a broad global network of farming partners and established close ties with the farmers. The Testing and Validation Center in Trangé, a quarter of an hour’s drive from Le Mans, has been particularly useful in this respect. Here the lifecycle of a tractor can be sped up in a simulator. The machines are exhaustively tested around the clock on the two test benches before undergoing the field test, literally.

Forward together

Since CLAAS took over the site, Pascal Paumier has also been involved in the continuous development process – even before the test centre was built. He likes to help out when CLAAS wants to test new machines: "We phone one or two weeks before we plan to do a special job on our farm. Then if CLAAS has a new machine they need testing in this area, we both reap the benefits." This collaborative approach gives him the opportunity to suggest improvements based on his practical experience and so help to develop CLAAS innovations. Many of the staff at the test centre have known Pascal Paumier for decades: "The partnership works very well. We have known most of the people at CLAAS since the early days."

All tractors in Le Mans are made to order: "No two identical tractors roll off the assembly line in any given two-month period", says Sébastien Paté. This presents many challenges that require the factory to be continuously optimised. You need to keep your wits about you when you're producing a different model every day, and the growing complexity of the machines means that continuous further development is needed: "We work with around 350 different suppliers", Material Planning Manager Aurelie Auriaults explains. Her 20-strong team makes sure that the factory always receives all the components needed for production. "We plan our material requirements on a monthly basis to meet the highly customised specifications." And her team's job is becoming more complex: "As the tractor product portfolio has been continuously growing in recent years, so too has the number of components we have to process. We are installing more and more electronics now." But this doesn't deter the Planning Manager, quite the reverse: it motivates her: "We are constantly learning new things in this job, no two days are alike. And it's great to be able to tackle these challenges with a brilliant team."

The CLAAS ethos is evident in Le Mans: the highest quality at all times – whether for employees in the workplace or farmers in the field. Farmer Pascal Paumier is quite clear about one thing: he looks forward to continuing the long-running, shared success story well into the future.