Tractor, harvester IT comes of age
Over the last halfdecade, digital technology has appeared to be the “must-have” for tractor and machinery companies, who believe that bringing IT to tractors and farming will offer its customers huge benefits.
These changes tie in with MF's 175-year anniversary this year.
Said to be one of very few global brands that can claim 175 years of history, Massey Ferguson's story started in 1847 when Daniel Massey turned his attention to labour-saving machinery. With no blacksmiths in the vicinity, he opened a workshop where he would repair his own farm machinery and those of his neighbours. Massey then started to produce innovative machinery - such as ploughs, wood safe-rake reapers and mowers.
In 1857, Alanson Harris started the production of a "flop-over" hay rake, before the two companies merged in 1891. Massey-Haris continued to innovate, achieving its next key milestone and developing the first self-propelled combine in 1938.
At the same time, Harry Ferguson revolutionised agriculture by creating the first 3-point linkage tractor in 1939 for farmers across the globe. This is still represented on all tractors today as standard.
Over the years, Massey Ferguson developed numerous on-board technologies, including the MF 3000 Datatronic in 1986 and the use of GPS in a non-military application with Fieldstar yield mapping on a combine harvester in 1991.
Massey Ferguson says it now plans to pivot from being a pure farm machinery manufacturer into a provider of straightforward and dependable experiences, "providing the best value for farmers, making their business more profitable and sustainable".
"This globally consistent, farmer-first vision allows customers to experience the transformation of the brand in a unique way all over the world," says Luis Felli, senior vice president, general manager for Massey Ferguson. "Providing the brand with a synchronized global organisation, it was only natural to launch a new logo during this unprecedented momnt in our history."
The instantly recognisable MF triple triangle shape was first introduced in 1958, with the triangles said to represent the mutually beneficial and sustainable relationship and trust, between farmers, dealers and the brand.
The new logo is said to stand for inclusiveness, accessibility, openness, transparency, sustainability and clarity. The company claims the flat design is reflective of the current digital world, allowing the logo to bring these qualities to life on MF websites, applications, smart devices, or even the screens inside the machines.
