CNH Industrial's newly appointed seeding and tillage general manager Glenn Soper has been tasked with shaping the company's local strategy across its three brands.
Mr Soper will oversee the Canadian brand Flexi-Coil, and Australian brands Horwood Bagshaw, based in Mannum, South Australia, and K-Line Agriculture based in Cowra, New South Wales.
He will be based at Mannum and his appointment signals CNH Industrial's commitment to the segment, as the only major manufacturer with onshore manufacturing capabilities.
Mr Soper said producers and contractors across Australia could look forward to a range that is 'all encompassing' to meet the needs of small scale operators through to large scale production farmers.
"I'm really excited about where things are going for tillage and seeding in Australia," he said.
"We have the right mix of product, strong Australian heritage, and the innovation and skills to drive the business forward.
"We're ready to capitalise on our economies of scale to create an offering that is truly suited to the full breadth of the market. There's opportunity to be had for our dealers and our customers."
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Mr Soper has a background in automotive, fleet sales management, dealership sales and OEM leadership roles.
He has a deep understanding of dealership and distribution networks, their operations and product expertise.
"CNH Industrial is known for its service levels, innovation and reliability and it's a business I am proud to be joining," Mr Soper said.
"I've already started building out my team, with key appointments including two new production managers who will focus on customisation capacity, a seeding and tillage specialist and a new addition to the Western Australia field team.
"I'm keen to work alongside our dealers, responding to customer needs, and I am excited by our expansion plans which includes a 30 per cent increase in our manufacturing workforce in the near term."
One of Mr Soper's key focus areas will be around agile, customised, efficient, and responsive production and engineering.
"Seeding and tillage practices are constantly evolving, and we have to constantly evolve, too," he said.
"We are listening to customers and adapting to meet their changing needs, including providing products that are easily transportable and compliant to road traffic guidelines, which we know is important to both famers and contractors.
"The ability to respond to local market requirements is essential, whether that is modifying a grader to suit the needs of a Queensland contractor or developing liquid fertiliser-capable carts for Western Australia, something I am excited to say we will be bringing to market pretty soon."
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