Celebrating the past – looking to the future
Case IH celebrates 175 years at the cutting edge of agricultural equipment production in 2017
Case IH, a global leader in agricultural equipment, is beginning a year of celebrations to commemorate its 175th anniversary at the brand’s global headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin. It was there, on the shores of the Root River, that founder Jerome Increase Case established the Racine Threshing Machine Works to produce a revolutionary machine to speed up the separation of grain after harvest.
“I find it amazing to see just how far the farming industry and our company have come during the last 175 years especially given the fact that we are stronger than ever before today,” Case IH Brand President, Andreas Klauser, said.
“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.
“Mr Case began this tradition having worked extensively with farm equipment before he started his own business and it became his lifelong passion,” Mr Klauser said.
“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 travelling 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.”
Case IH History
The company’s beginnings were closely linked with those of the American economy, as American pioneers moved west and new farms were established there to feed the growing population centres in the East. In 1869, Case went on to manufacture the first steam engine tractor which, though wheeled-mounted, was drawn by horses and used only to power other machines.
In 1876, Case built the first self-propelled traction steam engine. As steam engines quickly replaced horses for threshing, the J.I. Case Threshing Machine Company became the world’s largest producer of steam engines by 1886.
In 1902, five companies merged to form the International Harvester Company in Chicago, the deal being brokered, personally, by J.P. Morgan, the American banker who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation at the time. The company produced its first combine harvester in 1915 and in 1923 introduced the Farmall®, the world’s first row-crop tractor. Providing greater productivity, reliability and safety, it was a revolutionary unified system of tractors and implements for plowing, cultivating and harvesting.
International Harvester sold more than five million Farmall tractors and, in 1977, launched the unique single-rotor Axial-Flow® rotary combine, which revolutionised the farming industry with its simplicity, grain quality, grain savings, crop adaptability, matched capacity and high resale value. Axial-Flow combines still set the standard for harvesting performance today.
Case IH was formed in 1985 when J. I. Case acquired the agricultural division of International Harvester, uniting the legacies of Case and IH in a single brand. Its first product, the Magnum™ tractor from 160hp to 240hp, was introduced in 1987 and became the first tractor to win the Industrial Design Excellence Award. Now producing up to 380hp, the Magnum continues to be one of the most recognisable Case IH products with more than 150,000 sold.
The revolutionary Quadtrac™ tractor, which was launched in 1996, established a new benchmark and remains unmatched. Now including the most powerful series production tractor in the world, the Steiger® Quadtrac 620 with up to 692hp, it delivers the greatest pulling power while implementing efficient, ground-conserving tillage and drilling concepts.
Continuous Innovation
Since the turn of the century, when Case IH reintroduced the Farmall brand, the company’s technical innovations have continued unabated.
- Case IH Advanced Farming Systems (AFS™), accurate to within 2.5cm, have been at the forefront of Precision Farming for more than two decades, giving farmers the ability to maximise productivity and profitability using satellite technology
- In 2000, Case IH launched continuously variable transmission technology which enables its CVT tractors to deliver an optimum combination of power and fuel efficiency
- Patented ‘Efficient Power’ engine technologies enable Case IH equipment to meet the latest Stage IV (Tier 4 Final) emission standards without complex exhaust gas recirculation systems or particulate filters
- In 2014, the Magnum 380 CVT was voted ‘Tractor of the Year 2015’ at the EIMA International Exhibition in Bologna, Italy. That year, Case IH also launched the Rowtrac CVT, which combines the individual benefits of tracked and wheeled tractors
- Visitors to the 2016 Farm Progress Show in the USA were amazed when Case IH unveiled the Autonomous Tractor Concept.
- Able to operate autonomously with a wide range of field implements, this ground-breaking concept is designed to make agriculture more efficient, economic and environmentally-friendly at a time when finding skilled labour is becoming increasingly difficult for farmers in many parts of the world.
Case IH in the Future
“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,” Andreas Klauser added.
“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.
“I have no doubt he would approve of the fact that we involve customers in every new range, model and product update through our Customer Driven Product Design, but what he would think of the Autonomous Tractor Concept we can only guess!
“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.”
Media Release from Case IH – 13/01/17