AGCO announces change in company structure.

* AGCO announces change in company structure--AGCO announced "sweeping" changes of the company's structure in North America at the recent dealer meeting. The new strategy is intended to bring the purchased brands (21 acquisitions in the past 16 years) and distribution systems together. In the plan, affiliated dealers are expected to develop a strategy that emphasizes support of one of the company's three "cornerstone" product brands: AGCO, Massey Ferguson and Challenger. All three product brands will offer tractors, combines, tillage implements, seeding drills, row crop planters, hay tools and other equipment. The strategy includes co-branding with existing product categories, such as Hesston hay tool products, which will be co-branded as AGCO-Hesston and Massey Ferguson Hesston, and Sunflower and White planter products, which will be cobranded with all three principal brands. Most Massey Ferguson equipment will be red, except for the Hesston Series of larger hay tools. The AGCO brand products will include orange tractors, silver Gleaner combines and "autumn prime" Hesston hay tools. White planters and Sunflower products will be offered in their traditional red color, no matter what cornerstone brand dealer is carrying them. With the right market conditions and opportunities for profit, a cornerstone dealer can add the Fendt and Valtra tractor brands. (AgriMarketing)