AgroCentre thinks globally
Today in terms of sophistication, tractor equipment comes close to that of a spaceship. Therefore its servicing must be appropriate. Just a sledge hammer and a couple of expressive idioms won’t fix a technical problem. So, when buying equipment the farmers carefully think over how it will be serviced and by whom.
On an Open House Day held at its new dealer centre, AgroCentreLiski demonstrated its servicing capabilities. Located in the village of Khlevnoye, Lipetsk oblast, this centre is one of the largest both in Russia and Europe. Its production facilities occupy a floor area of 2,700 m² on a site exceeding 4.5 hectares.
Incidentally, this is already the seventh dealership of AgroCentreLiski. Servicing within walking distance, such is one of the company’s strategies. As noted by Nikolai Ivanishchev, AgroCentre-Holding Director General, today it is essential to supply farmers not only with highly efficient equipment but also with individual technological solutions.
More than 150 guests attended the event. They included farmers, partners and representatives of the agricultural equipment manufacturers. Each of the invited guests was given an opportunity to appraise the technical capabilities of the centre and see the modern depot of spare parts and the repair zone. The farmers were familiarised with the centre’s services. They noted that the repair zone is fitted out like a state-of-the-art facility, from diagnostic equipment in the motor vehicle servicing sections to gantry crane for repairing large-size machines. Today the centre services equipment of more than 50 agricultural enterprises.
“The modern servicing base is a real present for the farmers of our and neighbouring oblasts,” says Vladimir Golikov, Director of Agrofirma Rus JSC (Lebedyansky district of Lipetsk oblast). “Our company’s servicing has always been prompt. Today, however, the response to an application for servicing or spare parts delivery is instantaneous. It is very pleasing that the company cares for our future.”
On the Open House Day, a parade of farming equipment was held for the guests. The demonstration began with the JCB Workmax all-wheel-drive land rovers. These machines carry equipment, materials, people and animals both by road and across country. Workmax has a tipping body with a payload of 400 kg. It can also tow a load of up to 500 kg.
JCB officials announced an unprecedented discount sale. All those purchasing the best seller of telescopic loaders, the JCB Loadall 531-70 Agri (lifting capacity 3.1 t, lifting height 7 m) will get a free present, the reliable Workmax! Indisputably, JCB Loadall 531-70 Agri is a real giant in loading and unloading operations.
This machine was followed by the most efficient loader, the JCB Loadall 550-80 AgriPlus, capable of lifting a 5 tonne weight to an 8.1 m height. Its “heart”, the JCB Dieselmax (145 hp) engine, and the JCB Powershift transmission maximise its output in all types of applications.
All of the JCB loaders travel in three steering modes: by the front wheels, “track-in-track,” and “crab fashion.” However, on these machines only the steering mode changes automatically without pausing to adjust the wheels. The operator can just turn the switch in the right direction and the machine will do all the rest completely on its own.
Agricultural machines from AGCO also took part in the parade. They included the productive and practical combine harvester Massey Ferguson 7347S; the ultra-modern, economical wheeled tractor Massey Ferguson 8690 (340 hp); and the self-propelled, wide operating width (36.5 m) sprinkler Challenger RoGator 1100.
The guests were particularly delighted with the world’s most popular caterpillar tractors Challenger MT765C (320 hp) and Challenger MT865C (510 hp). They are ideally suited for work that needs a strong thrust, e.g. jointly with deep diggers, wide grip cultivators, disc harrows and pneumatic drills.
Nikolai Tagintsev, deputy head of Lipetsk oblast, explained the popularity of caterpillar tractors with the Lipetsk farmers quite simply. In the oblast there are many farms with high tilling culture that are genuinely concerned with soil fertility.
“In our oblast we welcome interesting projects and strive to promote them,” said Nikolai Tagintsev. “We see that AgroCentre thinks globally. After all, this dealer centre is not just a major servicing base, but also a training ground for specialists of the farming industry.”
The new dealer centre was also welcomed by the AgroCentre partners.
“It’s a high honour for us that our dealer can afford such a large centre with such highly skilled experts,” says Yuri Zyabkin, Commercial Director of AGCO RM farming enterprise. “It’s very important for us that our equipment should always be in operation since those using it are the ones who are feeding our country. Thank you, dear farmers! Thank you, AgroCentre for such a serious technological breakthrough!”
The Open House Day was concluded by Alexander Lysenko, a real Russian strongman, multiple winner of athletic contests. The Alyosha Popovich of today did the seemingly impossible: he dragged the Challenger 665D four tonne tractor over a distance of 30 metres.
The guests who had seen a year and a half ago the site now occupied by the dealer centre, then a wasteland overgrown with weeds, willingly agreed with the Open House Day motto – the impossible is possible for AgroCentre!
