HOLMER consolidates leading global position - Basis laid for further growth
Despite the tough competitive environment and new competitor structure, HOLMER has been able to maintain, and further develop, its position as the global market leader in the growing market for sugar beet harvesting technology.
HOLMER therefore expects a clear continuation of the positive trend in the coming year. Order balance with double-digit growth "Particularly positive and pleasing for us is, of course, the success which we have achieved in the significant sugar beet harvesting technology markets" explains Jürgen Eifler, Head of Sales at HOLMER. "The name HOLMER is a synonym worldwide for quality, performance and optimum service. The fact that 5 out of 10 tanker sugar beet harvesters on the world's beet fields come from HOLMER not only makes us proud, but also generates an obligation for us to reinforce the trust of our customers every day …" he explains, and adds "…our positive development in sales in 2012 is also to continue in 2013. The incoming orders are developing well."
Within a short period of time, the Terra Felis cleaning loader presented in 2009 has also developed into a real player with an outstanding reputation in the sector. Also the Terra Variant system vehicle has been able to convince professionals under difficult operating conditions with every comparison of its liquid manure and solid substance spreading abilities.
Here in Eggmühl, we anticipate a significant rise in sales of up to 15% in comparison to the previous year.
"We have gone to great efforts in the last few months, and have implemented measures in order to further develop and improve products, sales and services. The positive resonance of our customers, our service and sales partners and the great interest shown by new customers confirms our chosen path, and simultaneously gives us the impetus to consistently develop along these lines", says Wolfgang Bergmann, Managing Director of HOLMER Maschinenbau GmbH. Bergmann has been responsible for the HOLMER business for a year now, and is able to look back on a truly eventful year.
3000 sugar beet harvesters sold
The 3000th sugar beet harvester was built in and dispatched from the Eggmühl works in the summer of 2012. "A unique success story..." is how Wolfgang Bergmann describes this traditional company."… HOLMER has probably shaped this field more successfully and sustainably than any other company. The Terra Dos currently has a global market share of more than 50%, and is over-proportionally well-represented in many growth markets. With our triple-axle HOLMER T4-40, we will continue to be able to attract more customers in the future".
Top position in performance and quality impressively confirmed
At the Beeteurope in Seligenstadt, the most important practice-orientated event for sugar beet technology, the expert audience was able to convince themselves that HOLMER continues to set the benchmark in lifting performance, lifting quality and loading performance. The Terra Dos T3 tanker sugar beet harvester and the Terra Felis 2 cleaning loader impressively took the top places in different test categories in the comparison measurements of the University of Bonn. "Our Terra Dos not only had the highest throughput capacity of all the six-row lifters ..." emphasised Jürgen Eifler, "…but also the best lifting quality. The results for cleaning performance, beet damage and topping quality have impressively verified this."
In the starting blocks: The most powerful self-propelled beet lifter in the world
The milestone for HOLMER in 2012 was the presentation of the new, much-awaited triple-axle flagship: The Terra Dos T4-40. "On the one hand with the T4, our developers have developed tried and tested lifting technology even further, and on the other hand, they have implemented new vehicle, drive and fuel efficiency concepts (chassis, drive and cleaning). Through these innovations, we are setting new standards in performance, operation and economic efficiency," explains Wolfgang Bergmann.
The T4-40 has a new frame and chassis concept, and is already today designed for increasing harvest volumes, minimising lifting losses and maximising cleaning performance. At the same time, great value has been placed on sustainability, which required new solutions for optimum soil protection.
The T4-40 is full of superlatives:
The new chassis and drive concept enables a maximum tyre size of 1050/50 R32 on the middle and rear axles, with a tyre pressure of 2 bar in operation. IF 800/70 R 38 tyres with 1.6 bar tyre pressure are fitted to the front axle. The vehicle has a permitted overall speed of 40 km/h.
The axle concept is based on a swing and spring axle at the rear and, based on the highly efficient bent axis motors with shift-on fly, the traction drive enables drive speeds of up to 40 km/h.
No-one else in the market currently offers a more modern and more effective drive and frame concept.
The combination of the 900 mm wide transfer web, with a new gantry axle ensures a maximum passage and high throughput capacities, and therefore results in a 40 % increase in transfer web capacity compared to that of its competitors.
The extra-wide 1000 mm elevator belt (12 % wider than comparable 3-axle beet lifters) easily transports the flow of beet into the more than 30 tonne-capacity tank, which is equipped with an electronic fill-level monitoring system.
The first T4-40 was already presented to the harvesting experts representing several contractors and lifting cooperatives during the last season. The unanimous opinion of the practitioners: The T4-40 is the most modern and highest-performance machine on the market. An initial small series will be available to marvel at on the fields in the coming beet campaign; the official presentation will take place at this year's Agritechnica in Hannover.
