Claas is continuing its expansion in Western Canada, officially opening the doors to a new dealership in Alberta last week.
Located in Crossfield, the new Alberta Ag Centre marks the first step in a new partnership between Claas of America and BayWa Ag, a flagship Claas dealer in Europe with headquarters in Munich. BayWa currently operates more than 250 dealerships in Germany.
According to Claas, the Crossfield location features a full parts department, sales team and mechanics, with an emphasis on in-field service.
“Most importantly, we want to immediately begin building long-term relationships with growers in Alberta,” said Jason Wilson, the new president and CEO of Alberta AG Centre — formerly a regional general manager at another ag dealership in North Battleford.
Claas has also recently opened or is in the process of opening three company-owned dealerships in Saskatchewan, at Swift Current, Regina and Saskatoon.
“Canada is an important market for CLAAS and we have ambitious targets to keep moving forward. We recently opened an expanded Parts and Logistics Centre in Regina and are now taking additional measures to ensure our dealer network throughout the country is providing excellence in service to their customers,” explained Eric Raby, president and general manager of Claas of America, in a release. “I am delighted that we are able to add BayWa to our list of partners in Canada and fully expect substantial and sustainable growth as our partnership grows even further.”
For BayWa, the move into the Canadian farm machinery market is part of the company’s “internationalization strategy,” said CEO Klaus Josef Lutz. “In addition to our grain trading and fruit business, BayWa can now take a step into a new market to achieve a more diversified international business, also in the agricultural equipment business area.”
Related: Claas Expanding Its Dealer Network in Western Canada
