CNH Industrial acquires Horwood Bagshaw production facility

Three years after acquiring local tillage and seeding equipment manufacturer, Horwood Bagshaw, CNH Industrial has doubled down on its commitment to the brand by also taking over its manufacturing facility in South Australia.

CNH Industrial’s Managing Director of Agriculture for Australia and New Zealand, Brandon Stannett, said the company is keen to continue the 193-year-old brand’s legacy in Australia.

“CNHI has custodianship of a number of brands with strong histories, including Case IH and New Holland and of course Flexi-Coil,” he said.

“We recognise the value of an established and well-regarded brand like Horwood Bagshaw, arguably Australia’s oldest agricultural machinery manufacturer.”

Horwood Bagshaw was founded in 1838, and moved to Mannum, about 80km from Adelaide, in 1975. It is one of the oldest farm implement makers in the world and has in the past produced the biggest range of implements in the country.

“By purchasing the manufacturing site in Mannum, we are not only signalling our commitment to this brand, but securing our future so we can confidently invest in our Australian operations,” Stannett continued.

“We’re proud to be able to say that we are the only major manufacturer with on-shore manufacturing capabilities and we’re excited to be part of a revival in Australian manufacturing.”

In addition to the Mannum facility, CNHI has local manufacturing capability in Cowra, NSW, following its acquisition of K-Line Ag in 2019.

For now, Stannett said it is business as usual at Mannum, though he said CNHI is already looking at potential export opportunities for Horwood Bagshaw, especially for scraper buckets. In addition, the company has a new product in the pipeline that is ready for commercial testing this season.

“The market conditions for a brand like Horwood Bagshaw are very strong, with chemical resistance and other concerns driving a return to tillage. Horwood Bagshaw has a tremendous reputation for high quality, locally built, very robust machines,” Stannett said.

The decision to acquire the 6.6 hectare Mannum site was made at the end of a leaseback period which was part of the original sales agreement. It was officially announced last week during a senior management visit to the facility.

“There’s a lot more to come for Horwood Bagshaw,” Stannett said.

“I’m excited about the future of the brand and the future of Australian made.”

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