by Richard Bishop, Contributor to Forbes magazine
AGCO Corporation and Trimble recently announced the completion of their joint venture (JV) transaction. Known as PTx Trimble, the JV combines Trimbleโs precision agriculture business and AGCOโs JCA Technologies to form a new company that they say will better serve farmers with factory fit and retrofit applications in the mixed-fleet precision agriculture market.
As AGCO puts it, the formation of PTx Trimble enhances their technology offerings around guidance, autonomy, precision spraying, connected farming, data management and sustainability. What does this mean for vehicle autonomy generally?
โFarmers worldwide need technologies that support them to be more productive and profitable while minimizing the environmental impact of their operations,โ said Eric Hansotia, AGCOโs Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. โPTx Trimble will provide farmers greater access to next-generation precision ag tools, no matter what brands of tractors and implements they operate.โ
โFarmers are the real winners here,โ said Rob Painter, Trimbleโs President and Chief Executive Officer. โBy combining our expertise and resources through this JV, we aim to accelerate the pace of innovation. With a focus on open technologies, customers will benefit from tech solutions available to farmers across a broad range of tractor and implement brands.โ
PTx will be the new brand representing AGCOโs precision ag portfolio and will execute on three go-to-market approaches. Specialized precision ag dealers will help farmers retrofit almost any make or vintage of equipment they already own with the latest technologies. PTx will also expand its relationships with OEM partners that can integrate products from the PTx portfolio directly at the factory. Similarly, new machines from AGCOโs leading brands โ Fendt, Massey Ferguson and Valtra โ will also offer factory-fit technology from the PTx portfolio.
Seth Crawford, Senior Vice President and General Manager PTx, will lead the new organization as a mixed-fleet precision ag platform serving farmers globally.
โWe believe technology should give farmers the flexibility to work their way across brands and throughout the crop cycle,โ said Crawford. โThrough the PTx portfolio offerings within Precision Planting and PTx Trimble, weโll provide seamlessly compatible, powerfully simple precision ag solutions. We know farming is easier when platforms speak to each other โ and when those systems are designed and supported by experts who understand farmers. Thatโs what PTx is promising our customers around the world.โ
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