Kuhn Group acquires Krause Corporation

SAINT MARYS, Kan. — Kuhn Group, a leader in the design, manufacturing and marketing of hay and forage, livestock feeding and bedding, tillage, planting and seeding, manure and fertilizer spreading, landscape maintenance and crop protection equipment, has announced the acquisition of Krause Corporation, a privately held North American leader in the field of tillage equipment and grain drills located in Hutchinson, Kansas.

History

Krause Corporation was founded in 1916, and is specialized in the design and manufacturing of primary and secondary tillage, strip-till and vertical tillage equipment and grain drills for tractors of 100 to 550 horsepower.

The company’s revenues exceeded US $61 million in 2010, with a workforce of 230 employees. Kuhn Group, headquartered in Saverne, France, employs more than 3,500 people worldwide, and currently operates seven manufacturing companies located in the U.S., France, Brazil and the Netherlands.

In 2010, Kuhn Group’s revenues exceeded $850 million. Kuhn North America, Inc., headquartered in Brodhead, Wis., employs approximately 500 people, manufactures and distributes Kuhn equipment, and operates distribution centers in the states of New York, Tennessee, Colorado, Washington, and the Province of Quebec, Canada.

Name

The resulting wide product offering of Kuhn Group reinforces Kuhn’s strategy and leadership position in the crop production segments and is expected to contribute to Kuhn Group’s worldwide growth. This acquisition is expected to close within the weeks to come, at which time Krause Corporation’s name will change to Kuhn Krause, Inc.

Information concerning the structure and management organization of this new Kuhn Group company will be announced at that time. Kuhn intends to operate Kuhn Krause, Inc. independently to focus on the development, manufacturing and marketing of large-width tillage tools for the North American and overseas markets.