Japan-based Kubota Corporation has agreed to purchase Great Plains Manafucturing Inc. of Salina, KS, parent company of Land Pride.
The purchase is expected to expand Kubota's long-time alliance with Land Pride and will include all five Great Plains divisions with multiple facilities in Kansas as well as a manufacturing plant in Sleaford, England.
Since 2007, Kubota has worked closely with Land Pride to provide implements to Kubota dealers and customers across the U.S. and Canada.
"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," said Kubota Canada Ltd. president Bob Hickey. "This acquisition will strengthen our ability to deliver high-quality products to our customers and continue our strategic growth into new markets."
For the foreseeable future, all five 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. Doing so will allow employees, dealers and customers to interact with the same companies they have come to know.
Roy Applequist, Great Plains' founder and chairman, will remain on the leadership team to help guide the operations and facilitate a seamless transition.
"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."
Partnering with Applequist in overseeing and managing the transition is Linda Salem, president of Great Plains Manufacturing.
"I've worked alongside Roy for 26 years, and I intend to carry forward the entrepreneurial and successful legacy that he has created at Great Plains," she said. "I've also worked collaboratively with Kubota for over 10 years, which has allowed us to create a foundation for a strong working relationship that we will continue to build as we move forward."
The partnership further builds on Kubota's presence in Kansas where the company recently announced the establishment of its North American distribution centre in Edgerton, KS, which serves as the primary distribution hub for Kubota parts and whole goods across the U.S. The company's expanding presence in the region equips it to complete a seamless transition.
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