HARDI adds Agrifac to offering

Leading sprayer manufacturer, HARDI Australia has announced the addition of the Agrifac range of self-propelled sprayers to its stable.

Under the new arrangement, Agrifac sprayers will be supported by HARDI Australia’s local infrastructure. This includes its warehouse, distribution, parts, IT and administration facilities at Cavan, South Australia.

Both brands sit under the EXEL Industries Group umbrella, based in France.

“As the dominant EXEL brand in the Australian market, it was logical that the EXEL Group leverage HARDI’s assets and resources for the benefit of both brands’ customers,” said HARDI Australia CEO, Bill Franklin.

“Having both represented by HARDI Australia is intended to deliver synergies on the business and support side.”

Franklin said HARDI Australia is well-equipped to provide the support Agrifac and its customers needed; with its well-established parts and supply chain infrastructure in South Australia, as well as agriculture-specific administration, accounting and marketing services.

“Ultimately the move will enhance the customer experience across both EXEL brands which is an extremely positive thing," he said.

Franklin added HARDI Australia will have equal focus on both brands.

“We will soon appoint a dedicated Adelaide-based sales manager to drive our Agrifac business,” he said.

“Both brands are positioned in quite different market space and, internally, we don’t see any conflict between them.”

Agrifac Chief Commercial Officer, Roeland Coopman, said he is excited about working with HARDI Australia moving forward.

“This cooperation supports Agrifac’s ambition of becoming the number one self-propelled sprayer brand in the Australian premium market sector,” he said.

“Since the introduction in 2011, Agrifac had strong sales growth in all years. 2018 was again a record year for Agrifac.

“With the support of HARDI Australia, we are able to further boost our growth for the years to come in a sustainable way and ensuring premium customer experience.”

Agrifac sprayers are manufactured and assembled in the Netherlands, while HARDI sprayers are substantially manufactured and assembled at HARDI’s Cavan site.

According to Franklin, there will be no immediate changes to how each brand is marketed, however HARDI Australia will be exploring synergies to deliver value to customers in the future.

“Whether a farmer chooses an Agrifac or HARDI sprayer, we will help them optimise productivity through timely and efficient logistics,” he said.

“Our goal is simply to help Australian farmers protect their crops efficiently and produce quality food.”