Case IH celebrates 175 years

In 1842, Jerome Increase Case established the Racine Threshing Machine Works (later known as J.I. Case Threshing Machine Company) in Racine, Wisconsin (USA) to produce a revolutionary machine that speeds up the separation of grain after harvest.

More than 170 years later, it has evolved from a humble business set up by the shores of the Root River to a multimillion dollar company producing a wide range of quality agricultural machinery sold around the world, including tractors; combine harvesters; hay and forage equipment; tillage tools; seeders; sprayers and more.

Case IH Brand President, Andreas Klauser, says the company has come a long way since its establishment in the 19th century.

"The common theme which has always guided our innovative approach is to provide customers with ever-improving technologies that enable them to farm more efficiently and profitably," he says.

"Mr Case began this tradition having worked extensively with farm equipment before he started his own business and it became his lifelong passion.

"He believed that every piece of equipment manufactured by his company must deliver on the brand promise and saw to that personally. There is a famous account of him traveling to another state to investigate a product issue, even when he was well into his later years. Those principles continue to inspire and guide us today."

In the late 1800s, Case went on to build steam engine tractors and self-propelled steam engines to power its threshers and other farm machinery, resulting in his company becoming the world's largest producer of steam engines by 1886.

In a separate venture, five companies merged to form the International Harvester company in 1902 in Chicago, best known for its iconic Farmall tractors launched in 1923, and the unique single-rotor Axial Flow rotary combine built in 1977.

International Harvester sold over five million units of the Farmall, also known as the world’s first row-crop tractor. The Axial-Flow combine, on the other hand, revolutionised the farming industry with its simplicity, grain quality it produces, savings it generates, crop adaptability, matched capacity and high resale value.

In 1985, J.I. Case acquired the agricultural division of International Harvester, hence uniting Case and IH in a single brand. The first product to roll off the factory floor since the merger is the Magnum tractor, which remains a strong contender in the tractor market. It now offers up to 380hp of power and has recorded about 150,000 units in sales.

Another iconic machine that came out of the Case IH stable was the Quadtrac tracked tractor, which delivers up to 692hp of power (Steiger Quadtrac 620) while conserving the soil it operates on.

In recent years, Case IH has continued to develop a series of new technologies, including:

"The Case IH 175th Anniversary is a testament to many years of quality, perseverance and progress. It’s also an occasion to reflect on our guiding principles of innovative engineering, efficient power and agronomic design, a philosophy that will continue into the future," Klauser says.

"I am certain that if Mr Case could see the company today he would instantly recognise that the core values which he championed all those years ago are still at the heart of everything we do.

"When I look at the enormous transformation which has taken place in agriculture over the last 175 years, it is very exciting to think about what might be achieved during the next 175 years. I am sure that will be discussed during our celebrations with customers, dealers and employees."