Gregoire Besson Group acquisition of RABE AGRI

Grégoire Besson Group, a leader in agricultural cultivating machinery, today announced the acquisition of RABE AGRI, based in Bad Essen, Germany, a manufacturer of ploughs, soil preparation implements and seeders.

RABE AGRI was founded in 1889 and specialises in the manufacture of ploughs.  In the past 25 years, it has developed ranges of agricultural machinery to prepare soil, as well as harrows, seeders and till seed drills.  Over the past three years, RABE AGRI has achieved an average turnover of €30 million, 60 percent of which is through exports, and now employees over 180 people.

Grégoire Besson Group, located at Montfaucon-Montigné, France, employs 380 people worldwide and currently has six production plants located in Montfaucon-Montigné, Bergueuneuse, Quimper, Langeais, Cany Barville, and Ancona, Italy.

With a turnover of €60 million in 2010, Grégoire Besson Group is represented worldwide through a distribution network consisting of five subsidiaries, England, Canada, Poland, Russia, and China, along with many importers and distributers.

RABE AGRI, which is a brand recognised for the quality of its products, will become RABE after the acquisition and will manufacture machines and spare parts at its base in Germany.

With RABE AGRI, Grégoire Besson Group’s aim is to maintain sustainable industrial activity of the historic site of Bad Essen.  This strategy will allow Grégoire Besson to benefit from:

• Additional production capacity
• A powerful sales network which is particularly established in Germany
• A reinforcement of its position and strategy
• The ability to offer the RABE AGRI brand to new markets through the trading platform of Grégoire Besson