New Holland North America Inc history

1906 Leon Claeys, a Belgian mechanic, started to develop threshing machines, and in 1906 built his factory in Zedelgem, Belgium, where our plant still stands today.

Ford pioneered the mass-production of gasoline-powered tractors and in 1907 introduced to the world it’s first prototype.

In response to the need for improved roads in the area, Zimmerman designed and built a rugged jaw-type rock crusher and sold 27 units in 1910.

In 1914 Abram Zimmerman sold his share of the firm and resigned to join the Russellite religious movement that predicted the end of the world that year.

1917 Ford first tractor built.

1918 Fiat Model 702 tractor was launched and went into full production a year later in Turin.

That company's efforts resulted in the development of the 702, Fiat's first mass produced tractor, which hit the market in 1919.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Italian auto maker Fiat was developing a tractor of its own. It continued to do well until about 1930, when the Great Depression began to hit rural America hard.

1937 First automatic self-tie baler introduced.

In 1939, Ford introduced the 3 point hitch (originally developed by Harry Ferguson) on the ‘N’ tractor Series.

New Holland acquired the rights to build the baler in 1940 and production started later that year.

In 1941 New Holland built 351 balers.

By 1946 New Holland products included tractor saws, saw frames, husker-shellers, limestone pulverizers, roll crushers, jaw crushers, hammer crushers, belting, general purpose and cement mixers, and power units, as well as shellers and hammermills.

Within months of this merger, Ford New Holland added on the agricultural division of Versatile Farm and Equipment Co., an agricultural equipment manufacturer that had been founded in Canada in 1947.

The Belleville plant began producing side-delivery rakes in 1948.

In 1952 Claeys unveiled the first European self-propelled combine harvester.

The European Fordson brand and US Ford brand were consolidated in 1964 with the creation of a global tractor line.

The following New Holland history is condensed from The Sperry New Holland Line, April 1970, (75th anniversary) and New Holland, Our First 100 Years,

New Holland would go on to revolutionize harvesting equipment in 1974, with the introduction of the world's first twin rotor combine.

In 1975, Sperry New Holland introduced the world’s first twin-rotor combine, a successful technology that is still used today.

Fiat finally gained entry into the North American market in 1977, with the acquisition of Hesston, a Kansas-based manufacturer of hay and forage machinery.

In 1984 Fiat consolidated all of its agricultural machinery manufacturing under the umbrella of Fiatagri, the new name for Fiat Trattori.

Ford purchased New Holland in 1985, creating the Ford-New Holland line.

In 1986 Ford purchased Sperry New Holland and merged it with its Ford Tractor Operations to create a new company, Ford New Holland, Inc.

In 1988 the activities of Fiat-Allis and Fiatagri were merged to form a new company, FiatGeotech S.p.A., which now encompassed Fiat's entire farm and earthmoving equipment sector.

FiatGeotech's revenue for 1989 was $2.3 billion.

By 1990 Ford New Holland had 17,000 employees, revenue of $2.8 billion, and plants in the United States, Canada, Belgium, England, and Brazil, plus joint ventures in India, Pakistan, Japan, Mexico, and Venezuela.

In 1991 Fiat purchased 80 percent interest in Ford New Holland.

N.H. Geotech changed its name to New Holland N.V. in January 1993, although the company's North American operation stuck with the Ford New Holland moniker for two more years.

New Holland made the completion of its integration process official at its 1994 worldwide convention, at which the company unveiled its new corporate identity and logo.

Operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiat, New Holland brought in just more than $5 billion in sales in 1995.

Fiat Geotech S.p.A. continues to hold a 69 percent ownership interest in New Holland, having sold the other 31 percent in a 1996 initial public offering.

In July 1997, the 25,000th New Holland Twin Rotor combine rolled off the company's Grand Island, Nebraska assembly line.

Following this the Fordson Super Dexta was imported and sold in America as the Ford 2000 Diesel, and the Fordson Super Major as the Ford 5000.

In 2009, New Holland Agricultural presented the world first hydrogen powered tractor, the NH2, generating energy from renewable sources.

2015 ​New Holland Celebrates 120 years of history and innovation.

2016 The BigBaler Plus completes a challenge proving ultimate efficiency and productivity, excellent bale quality and outstanding reliability: 32t/h, 1254 bales averaging 434 kg in 17 hours over 2 days.

2017 The centenary of the world’s first mass produced tractor, the Fordson Model F.

2018 New Holland Grape Harvesting Performance Test, the Braud 9090X harvested 197.6 tonnes of destemmed grapes, corresponding to nearly 200,000 bottles of Shiraz wine in just 8 hours.

2019 New Holland launches the world’s first production 100% methane powered tractor.

2020 New Holland celebrates 125 years of innovation and supporting farmers around the world, started when Abe Zimmerman opened his first repair shop in Pennsylvania.

New Holland Loop Master knotting technology wins Gold medal at 2021 Edison Awards