AGCO recently announced a $42-million expansion of its manufacturing center in Jackson, Minn., which will increase production capacity and efficiency in order to help meet growing demand for its tractors and application equipment.
The three-year endeavor is made up of seven phases affecting all areas of the facility, including component manufacturing, the tractor assembly line and the application equipment assembly line. Once completed, the expansion will create 75 additional permanent jobs at the plant, bringing the total number of employees to more than 1,200. The project will increase production capacity by 25 percent for both the tractor and sprayer assembly lines while maintaining best-in-class product quality.
The first phase, which is scheduled to be completed in 2013, includes a 30,000-square-foot expansion of the component manufacturing area. This will increase capacity by 20 percent and improve efficiency by re-engineering the flow of materials to assembly stations. The installation of an additional robotic welder and a sheet laser will improve productivity and positively impact all equipment built in Jackson.
"This expansion builds on the excitement that began in 2011 when AGCO chose Jackson as the location where high-horsepower wheeled tractors for North America would be built,” said Eric Fisher, AGCO's director of operations. "Continuing to invest here reinforces AGCO's commitment to bringing our North American customers high-quality tractors and application equipment built how the customer wants them and delivered on time."
Remaining phases include expanding the tractor assembly line for increased production capacity, an in-line paint system for the application assembly line and cutting-edge testing capability of finished products.
For more information, visit www.agcocorp.com.