Special Report

North America “needs” AG CONNECT

Organizers of AEM’s AG CONNECT EXPO 2010 in Orlando, Florida – now underway through Friday – say North America needed a global agriculture trade show.

The head of a leading worldwide ag equipment manufacturer was one of those pushing for just such a show. He’s Martin Richenhagen, President and CEO of AGCO – makers of Massey Ferguson, Hesston, Fendt and other leading brands –He was chairman of the board last year of AEM – the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, “We have the best farmers in North America, in the U.S. We have all the leading manufacturers in the U.S., but, unfortunately the big farm shows are in Germany and France and I said to myself, ‘This is wrong.’”  So, AEM decided to change that – and model the show after Germany’s AGRITECHNICA which is organized by that country’s non-profit equipment association – Richenhagen says like Agritechnica, AGCONNECT will reinvest the money back into the show to improve it every year, “And this is why we go into a partnership with AGRITECHNICA (which) will be a minority shareholder of this show (AG CONNECT).”

Officials say attendance at AG CONNECT numbers well into the thousands.  Official numbers will be released Thursday.

Next year’s AG CONNECT EXPO will be in Atlanta, Georgia.  

AUDIO: Martin Richenhagen, AGCO Corp., (5 min., MP3)

AGCO Corporation

AG CONNECT Expo – “where the world of agriculture comes together”