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Visitors to last week's National Fieldays were able to check out the new home for CLAAS Harvest Centre, Waikato and the parts, training and demonstration hub for the network's five other branches in the North Island.
The facility includes a six-bay service workshop, a 1,000 square metre parts warehouse and a 700 square metre showroom, administration and training centre. The centre also houses a high-tech remote diagnostics facility that enables technicians to monitor the location, operating performance and potential service requirements of any CLAAS, JCB, or AMAZONE machinery fitted with telematics in New Zealand.
Located on a three-hectare site adjacent to Hamilton Airport, the area also includes a 6,500 square metre 'hard stand' area, alongside a product demonstration and training area. The site hosts more than 35 sales, administration, parts and service staff under the leadership of branch manager, Stephen Harrison.
Landpower chief executive, Richard Wilson, says the complex will underpin increasing demand for high performance farm machinery and after-sales service and support.
"Hamilton is our largest dealership in the North Island and has developed a solid business based on forage harvesting technology," Richard says. "This expansion will spearhead the continued growth in sales of our extensive range of other lines, including tractors, cultivation, seeding, spraying, spreading and handling equipment.
"Our goal is to gear up farmers for success by providing access to some of the world's leading farm machinery brands and providing an unmatched level of aftersales service. A large part of that promise relies on recruiting, developing and retaining quality staff.
"Having a purpose-built, well-equipped workplace and being able to provide ongoing training throughout our network will enable us to meet that challenge."
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