Japanese tractor company Kubota has announced a deal to purchase Salina, Kansas-based equipment-maker Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc.
Kubota will acquire 100 percent of Great Plains’ shares for a stock price of approximately US$430 million, subject to provisions in the agreement. The deal expands on a North American alliance Kubota had with Great Plains’ turf and landscape implement division Land Pride dating back to 2007.
“Through our Canadian marketing alliance, we’ve learned that Land Pride products are a great fit for our tractors, our dealers and our brand here in Canada. This acquisition will strengthen our ability to deliver high quality products to our customers and continue our strategic growth into new markets,” said Kubota Canada Ltd. President, Bob Hickey, in a news release on Friday.
The deal represents Kubota’s largestforay into the North American farm equipment market, following up on its acquisition of European ag manufacturer Kverneland ASA in 2012. The agreement includes all five Great Plains divisions (Great Plains Ag Division, Great Plains International, Land Pride, Great Plains Acceptance Corporation, and Great Plains Trucking) with multiple facilities in Kansas and a manufacturing plant in Sleaford, England.
April 1st, 2016 marked 40 years since Great Plains Manufacturing founder Roy Applequist started the company, building a new grain drill for the U.S. Central Plains. Applequist, who still serves as Great Plains’ chairman, will be part of the team guiding the transition with Kubota.
“My plan is to play a significant role in helping Great Plains become a vital part of the Kubota family,” said Applequist. “Great Plains’ leadership position in the agricultural implement business has been earned by striving to do our best in satisfying our customers’ needs, and we are confident that teaming up with Kubota will allow us to continue to uphold this tradition.”
After building drills through the late ’70s and into the ’80s, introducing innovations in depth control and no-till planting, Great Plains Trucking was launched in 1983 to haul equipment across the country. Applequist started the turf-maintance and landscaping division – Land Pride – in 1986. Great Plains Acceptance Corp. was also created in 1991 to help dealers with low-rate financing. The company entered the tillage market in 2000, buying Kent Manufacturing, and later bought Simba International in England in 2010.
In total, Great Plains operates approximately 1.7 million square feet of factory and office space.
Kubota says for the foreseeable future, all five of Great Plains divisions “will continue to operate as they have with their infrastructure intact and with respect to the distinctiveness of the brands, trademarks and operational strengths.”
The deal is expected to be completed in July.
Related: Kubota Joins Bantamweights with New M7 Series
Wake up with RealAgriculture
Subscribe to our daily newsletters to keep you up-to-date with our latest coverage every morning.
Wake up with RealAgriculture
FAQs
Kubota will acquire 100 percent of Great Plains' shares for a stock price of approximately US$430 million, subject to provisions in the agreement. The deal expands on a North American alliance Kubota had with Great Plains' turf and landscape implement division Land Pride dating back to 2007.
Is Great Plains owned by Kubota? ›
Now a Kubota Company, Great Plains not only remains a leading producer of Grain Drills, but is also recognized across North America as a leader in Vertical Tillage and Conventional Tillage Equipment, Fertilizer Applicators, Sprayers, Planters, Compact Drills, and now Rotary Cutters.
What company did Kubota buy out? ›
Great Plains Manufacturing has been sold to Kubota Corporation.
Did Kubota buy Land Pride? ›
Yep, LandPride is owned by Kubota. I own a Grader Scraper built by LandPride.
Is Kubota made in the USA? ›
Nowadays, it is not only in Japan that Kubota production takes place. It is also in the United States, and to be more precise, Georgia. Most of the Kubota tractors distributed across North America are produced there.
Who owns Great Plains Manufacturing? ›
Are Kubota tractors made in China? ›
As the Kubota tractors are sold worldwide, the company has expanded its manufacturing line on almost every continent. The Kubota locations for manufacturing tractors around the world are: Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. Pathumthani, Cachoengsao, Thailand.
Who builds Kubota engines? ›
Kubota is a manufacturer of compact, multi-cylinder, liquid-cooled diesel engines up to 210 HP. Kubota Engine America Corporation (KEA) oversees the sale of engines, generators and service parts. In 1890, Kubota Corporation started its rich history of innovation and contribution to society in Osaka, Japan.
Does Kubota build their own engines? ›
Kubota Started Producing Engines Using the Facility and Technology of the Machinery Division, Becoming a Core Player of the Industry in No Time.
Does Kubota support LGBTQ? ›
Society and businesses that support LGBTQ people
While businesses like Kubota and Dwa Borsuki remain outspoken about supporting the LGBTQ community, not everyone in Poland has come to terms with it.
Land Pride, a Division of Great Plains Mfg., Inc., has been a leader in grounds maintenance equipment since our inception in 1986.
Do Kubota tractors hold their value? ›
However, the reliability, aftersales backup and residual resale value with these manufactures' products are less certain than with some of the better-known brands. As a rule, Kubota and John Deere Tractors seems to hold there value better than most.
Is John Deere better than Kubota? ›
Comparing models within similar horsepower ranges, it's clear that both brands deliver solid engine power. However, John Deere's consistent performance across models is a testament to its superior engineering.
What does Kubota mean in Japanese? ›
Kubota (written: 久保田) is a Japanese surname. In Japanese, it means sunken rice paddy (窪, kubo, sink + 田, ta, rice paddy), but is usually written phonetically (久, ku, long time + 保, ho/bo, protect + 田, ta, rice paddy). Notable people with the surname include: Kazuteru Kubota, a.k.a. Koriki Chōshū, comedian.
Who is John Deere's biggest competitor? ›
In 2022, the company held total assets to the value of over 90 billion U.S. dollars. John Deere's largest competitors include CNH Industrial (U.K.), Kubota Corp. (Japan), AGCO (U.S.), and Claas KGaA (Germany).
Who builds Kubota mowers? ›
KMA manufactures and assembles Kubota lawn tractors, zero-turn mowers, sub-compact tractors, and utility vehicles.
Who makes Kubota construction equipment? ›
This includes products manufactured in the United States by Kubota's American Manufacturing Corporation, called Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation Headquartered in Gainesville, GA.
Who builds Kubota compact tractors? ›
Established in 1988, Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation (KMA) is headquartered in Gainesville, Georgia, a thriving industrial and agricultural community located on Lake Sidney Lanier and the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. KMA typically employs over 3,500 local area residents.
