AGCO's Origins & History
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=157137
Printed Date: 14 Oct 2025 at 1:43pm
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Topic: AGCO's Origins & History
Posted By: nella(Pa)
Subject: AGCO's Origins & History
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2019 at 2:35pm
Replies:
Posted By: HaroldOmaha
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2019 at 8:33pm
No mention of the aircraft crashing in England that wiped out the original CEO, Vice President, and Chief Financial Officer that started AGCO and how it changed the direction of AGCO.
Did you catch him saying they are rebranding all of the equipment for people in other countries.
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Posted By: JohnCO
Date Posted: 12 Jan 2019 at 1:23pm
That is a great video, learned a bunch about AGCO. Didn't know about the brand they bought in Brazil. I don't know if I would want to dwell on the loss of the top management in the plane crash, I believe one of the guys was Robert Radcliff's son in law. I would venture to guess if that crash would not have happened, that there would be a more US based management team and quite possibly the orange brand would still be sold, at least in North America. Interesting that he mentioned rebranding stuff in other parts of the world, it does make sense as MF was known pretty much world wide, unlike AC and other US companies. I think a lot of North American farmers and dealers thought dropping AGCO Allis was a bad idea but corporate bean counters don't look beyond the bottom line of cost of goods, not customer loyalty.
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"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer"
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Posted By: Ray54
Date Posted: 12 Jan 2019 at 4:22pm
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Not putting Gleaner history down, but the combine existed before 1909 and Baldwin. I googled Holt combine history and get a clip of a steam powered Holt tractor and combine dated 1890. I know not everything you find is correct with Holt starting in California there are many bit of history to be found out here. From memory Holt was trying tracks to keep his traction engine floating on the alluvial muck of the Sacramento river delta by the time Baldwin was building his combine.
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Posted By: JohnCO
Date Posted: 12 Jan 2019 at 6:54pm
There is a Sunshine self propelled combine out at Yuma, Colorado that was built in Australia, I believe, in the early 1900's
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"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer"
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Posted By: CrestonM
Date Posted: 12 Jan 2019 at 8:06pm
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I read in Antique Power magazine March/April 2011 that George Berry in California had the first self-propelled combine in 1886. It was built with a steam traction engine, threshing machine, and 40' header. Burned its own straw. He built several, before moving on to other things. Only one burned up.
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Posted By: EPALLIS
Date Posted: 12 Jan 2019 at 11:49pm
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The aircraft crash was a tragedy in more ways than one. It changed the entire Paradigm at AGCO. A very unfortunate event...………...
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Posted By: cwhit
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2019 at 7:38am
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When I first saw this thread, I skipped over it cause I knew it would only ticked me off. But after watching it was done rather well. It is amazing how far Agco has shifted from the first 10 years when the thought was more dealers, more exposure, to now where there are a lot of areas you have to drive for hours to find an Agco dealership. I,m blessed to have 3 outlets within 10 miles from where I live but wonder how much longer that will last.
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Posted By: agcodick
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2019 at 7:57am
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The guy that did that video is a friend of mine. That video is out of my collection. He did s great job. Its funny how Agco was all about there Orange heritage until the Germans took over. Now they wont even acknowledge them and focus on massey's history. Its a little disheartening. I agree that had agco not had the plane crashes things would be different. Ratliff was a smart man and built a great company.
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Posted By: DougG
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2019 at 9:10am
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Agco was after the German take over ??? KHD wanted rid of the company as they lost so much $$$$, Not understanding this part !?
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Posted By: agcodick
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2019 at 10:38am
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Doug G. The current CEO is Richenhagen. He is German. In 1997 Agco purchased Fendt. Have you noticed the direction of the company since he took over after Ratliff? All about fendt, valtra, challenger and massey. One if his first tasks that iv heard he was verbal about was getting rid of the orange line. So thats what i mean by since the Germans took over.......again.
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Posted By: DougG
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2019 at 12:45pm
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I gottcha, never thought about it like that and your right
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Posted By: EPALLIS
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2019 at 1:40pm
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I have several signed letters from Robert Ratliff. I find it amazing that someone who could build a 3 billion dollar company from scratch could find the time to read my letters and respond back to them. Robert Ratliff was one of a kind.
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Posted By: JohnCO
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2019 at 11:46pm
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EP, that's probably why it was such a successful company!
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"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer"
Allis Express participant
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Posted By: tbran
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2019 at 9:40am
The two men in the 'plane crash' were Ed Swingle and John Shumejda (shoe may duh) Ed was a personal friend that went to work for AC the same time as I. He was energy personified ... some loved him, others did not.. he accepted nothing but one best efforts as well as a positive attitude - he was the AC voice in recognition of the heritage. John was brought along with Ratliff as he had been his right hand man in all things mechanical in the past . They had a unique team with James Seaver as the business #'s man. They did not always agree, but always worked together for a common good. They actually mortgaged their homes to start Agco - it makes a difference when you can loose everything instead of just having an * on a resume if something went wrong and the company had failed. None of the founders were related however there were some son in laws later added. And yes the Deutz Allis company was breaking even or loosing money - we always wanted to know about a lot of "one time charge offs' that made it that way that showed up on the financial statements. Although the demise of the iron curtain did open up eastern Germany to the KHD group as to great potential, the fact that the farm depression of the '80 and the ambition of the afore mentioned founders provided a perfect storm for them to convince the KHD group they should abandon a sinking ship in the N America venture... the acquisition didn't happen overnight if you know what I mean although it did get hectic at the end of Deutz-Allis...
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When told "it's not the money,it's the principle", remember, it's always the money..
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Posted By: DougG
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2019 at 7:06pm
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Please tell us more TBRAN, you were right in the mix of it all
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