What does your job involve day to day?

“Every day I deal with different, new and exciting tasks. I get to know new systems and learn different repairs to a range of AGCO brand machinery. Whether a customer service or a certain repair I look forward to taking each task hands on. We always start with a careful inspection, take a closer look, and then determine which genuine parts we need before carrying out the work.

“Finally, all functions are checked again. We then discuss with the customer of all the work we have done, because the most important thing at the end is that the customer is satisfied.”

Why did you choose your current career?

“My enthusiasm for tractors started in my childhood. I was interested in how a tractor can drive and how it all works. I wanted to learn an exciting profession with the best opportunities. Being able to enjoy customer contact and implement customer-oriented thinking was also a factor.”

Why do you think more women should pursue a similar career path?

“The profession is rich in knowledge, you can learn so much there. If a woman has no problem with dirty and oily hands to go into the evening, she is just right for it! In these professions you can grow beyond yourself and get to know new sides of yourself. Women have strengths that are less common in men. For example: order, patience, sense, dexterity and an eye on the bigger picture. Only together does the perfect team emerge.”

What is the most important piece of advice you would give to a woman starting a similar career?

“You must not be afraid of not making it. Anything is possible. Ambition and will are compelling. Every success is strengthening your self-confidence, and even if it does not work out at the first attempt, never give up!”

Why do you think diversity is so important in the workplace?

“Diverse willingness to learn leads to diverse knowledge. Diversity means a lot to me.

“First of all, I think of knowledge, because knowledge is unlimited and far-reaching in every direction. In my profession it is the various tractors, attachments but also the small appliances such as lawnmowers and chainsaws. The mix of mechanics and advanced technology is also a big part of it.”

Do you think there are equal opportunities for women in your field of work?

“I do not think so, as this profession is made up of 99% men. Nevertheless, it is already a big step that women are accepted in the profession.”

What barriers have you faced as a woman in the workplace, and how have you overcome them?

“The biggest hurdle for me personally was the courage to take up the challenge.

“The team of the workshop immediately welcomed me well, so that I felt directly comfortable

“The doubt not to make it or to have too little power both physically and emotionally can be difficult to overcome, but it turned out that these were completely misplaced.”

The post International Women’s Day 2019 – Lea Virnekäs appeared first on AGCO Blog.

In her new role as Aftersales Manager, Emma supervises the workshop and aims to offer more aftersales support to customers to make sure their needs are fully met. Here she gives us an insight into why she chose to take up this career path and some of the key steps to her current management position, “I am a farmer’s daughter and wanted to have a career in the agricultural industry. I was offered an apprenticeship within automotive parts at an agricultural engineering company I previously worked for. I chose this career because I knew that I could gain further qualifications and progress in the industry to management roles which have been very rewarding.”

Emma adds, “It is a rewarding career and it gives you great job satisfaction that you can succeed in a male dominated environment. It would be great to see more women in the industry.”    

Overcoming Challenges

The agricultural industry can be perceived of as a predominantly male sector and Emma explains that she has faced and overcome barriers within the workplace. “I find customers and mechanics do assume you can’t do the job and that you don’t know anything about agricultural machinery. But with my experience and knowledge I prove that I can do the job successfully and gain their respect.” Emma has often found herself as the only woman present at service meetings and training sessions but she is unfazed and advises, “You just need to have confidence in yourself and contribute, don’t just sit there quietly.”

Balance for Better

Reflecting on gender equality within the agricultural industry, there is positive news and the sector is building a better balance. Emma explains, “There are equal opportunities in the industry. I think it needs to be promoted more so that women are aware that they can pursue a career path like mine. Importantly you can still have a successful career when you have a family.”

Emma agrees that diversity is an important factor influencing the modern business environment. “It brings more talent and skills to a business, it would be great if jobs weren’t perceived in terms of ‘male’ and ‘female’ roles.”

For women seeking to pursue a similar career path Emma advises, “From my own experience my advice would be you need to be willing to learn and listen to others. Also be strong minded, stand your ground and persevere. It was difficult when I was training as I didn’t have the knowledge or experience but now I have that, I can prove to mechanics and customers that I understand what they are talking about which gives you great job satisfaction.”

The post International Women’s Day 2019 – Emma Honey appeared first on AGCO Blog.

Anca gives us an insight into why she chose to take up this career; “I can’t say it was a straight forward path; With a University Diploma in European Studies and International Relations, prior to this role I worked in various fields such as Marketing, Finance and Technical Support, whilst always using my foreign language skills obtained through University.

When a Business Manager role was advertised at AGCO, I looked at my previous experience and decided I was ready for a new challenge. I must say that looking back I am very happy I took that step. This is a role that fulfils my professional aspirations, keeps me on my toes and learning something new every day.”

Challenge as opportunity

When asked about any barriers she had faced as a woman in the workplace, Anca has very positive news. Change is happening and gender equality is becoming a reality for many.

“I like to see every challenge as an opportunity to learn something new and for today to be better than yesterday. I have not faced any barriers due to gender so far. I believe we are all lucky to live in a free and open part of the world, in a modern European society where gender stereotypes have disappeared or at least are less noticeable than in other parts of the world. From my experience so far, my field of work is one with equal opportunities for those who want to grow as a professionals. I truly believe the gender doesn’t make any difference good or bad.” Let’s keep this momentum going and keep driving the change across the world.

Better the Balance, Better the World

Within her chosen career in Business Management Anca believes that there are equal opportunities for men and women across Europe. Rather than focusing on gender, employers are looking for professionals and the most qualified individual to do the job.

Anca is an advocate of diversity in the workplace, “I believe diversity is a very important source of balance and that this balance and sharing of knowledge is important for businesses to thrive.”

For women seeking to pursue a similar career path, Anca advises that “everyone, regardless of gender, should pursue a career which suits their abilities, skills and dreams and most importantly aspire to a job that they are happy doing every single day.”

The post International Women’s Day 2019 – Anca Urdareanu appeared first on AGCO Blog.

Our first story comes from Elisabeth who started working at AGCO eleven years ago as Customer Services Coordinator for our Distribution network across Central and Eastern Europe. Elisabeth has successfully developed her career and is now Manager, Customer Services Parts, leading teams across four European locations. Elisabeth tells us just a few of the highlights of her role.

Elisabeth says “In 2016 I had the opportunity to apply for the role of Customer Services Manager, Parts and progress in my career and today I can wholeheartedly say that I love my job and the new challenges this has opened up to me. My key highlights working in this role are managing a diverse team of people and sharing my experience to help them succeed in reaching their goals and supporting their growth and development.”

Overcoming Challenges

The agricultural industry is working towards greater gender equality in what is seen as a mainly male sector.

As a woman working within this industry Elisabeth has faced and overcome certain barriers, here she explains more, “Many of the dealerships we work with have a mostly male presence and when they phone us with Parts issues they can sometimes be concerned with a woman’s understanding of agriculture.

But we have a wealth of expertise across our Customer Services teams and by working together to harness this knowledge we provide the highest level of aftersales support to our dealers. By successfully resolving Parts issues, we demonstrate through action how highly efficient our teams are.”

Balance for Better

The campaign theme of International Women’s Day 2019 is ‘Better the balance, better the world’; a call to action for us all to help drive gender balance and Elisabeth is a firm supporter of this. She explains, “I believe that gender equality and diversity in the workplace bring an important balance to an organization. It allows for more open communication and different approaches to problem solving.”

For women seeking to pursue a similar career path, Elisabeth advises them to “have confidence in yourself and your abilities as you can bring such positive value to a company.”

The post International Women’s Day 2019 – Elisabeth Charron appeared first on AGCO Blog.

We couldn’t possibly name all the agriculture events we enjoy and attend year after year, but here are 10 events in chronological order where you will be certain to find AGCO this year. Hopefully we will see you on the road!

1. IPPE
   When: February 12-14
   Where: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
   Website: http://www.ippexpo.com/
2. National Farm Machinery Show
   When: February 13-16
   Where: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
   Website: https://www.farmmachineryshow.org/
3. SIMA
   When: February 24-28
   Where: Paris, France
   Website: https://en.simaonline.com/
4. AGMA China
   When: April 10-12
   Where: Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
   Website: http://www.agromach.com/
5. Agrishow
   When: April 29-May 3
   Where: Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
   Website: https://www.agrishow.com.br/en/Home.html
6. NAMPO Harvest Day
   When: May 14–17
   Where: Bothavillle, South Africa
   Website: https://www.grainsa.co.za/pages/nampo/nampo-home
7. AGROACTIVA
   When: June 26-29
   Where: Armstrong, Sante Fe, Argentina
   Website: https://www.agroactiva.com/
8. Farm Progress Show
   When: August 27-29
   Where: Decatur, Illinois, USA
   Website: https://www.farmprogressshow.com/en/home.html
9. Expointer
   When: August 25 – September 2
   Where: Esteio, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
   Website: http://www.expointer.rs.gov.br/inicial
10. Agritechnica
    When: November 10-16
    Where: Hanover, Germany
    Website: https://www.agritechnica.com/en/

The post 10 Agriculture Events You Won’t Want to Miss in 2019 appeared first on AGCO Blog.

5) An IDEAL Combine Harvester

We heard from many of our followers that they are hoping to be gifted the AGCO IDEAL combine – wow that’s quite a request! If you are looking to splash out on the latest in harvesting technology, the state-of-the-art AGCO IDEAL combine harvester available from Fendt and Massey Ferguson is the perfect gift for the arable farmer. With the longest rotor in its class, the largest threshing area and the quickest unload speed, this is certain to be the perfect choice…given you can get it under the tree.
If you aren’t ready to invest in the full-size IDEAL, maybe the Fendt or Massey Ferguson IDEAL 9T model is the way to go. Both are available online at the Fendt Shop and Massey Ferguson Shop.

4) Farming Simulator 19

For the gaming farmer, there is no better choice than newly released Farming Simulator 19 from GIANTS Software. We at AGCO have again partnered with GIANTS Software to bring you all the latest and greatest from AGCO and our brands. With over a million copies sold worldwide it is no surprise that this stocking stuffer made the nice list.

3) A New Car

It looks like tractors, combines and implements aren’t the only equipment our farmer followers are hoping for this year. According to the feedback we received, some would like a truck, while others prefer something a little fancier such as a “brand new Mercedes” or Tesla. We can’t argue as all three sound like pretty good gifts to us.

2) A Relaxing and Peaceful Time of Year

With the long hours that farmers put in all year round, it was nice to see not only material items as many said they would simply like to have a relaxing and peaceful time during the holidays as their gift. For all those that are wanting this over the holiday period, we hope you have a nice break from all the hard work you put in to feed the world and enjoy time spent relaxing with family and friends.

1) …and the number one choice this holiday season (cue the drum roll)…A BRAND NEW TRACTOR!

This should come as no surprise at all, our followers told us LOUDLY that they want a new tractor; sounds good to us. We heard a lot about Challenger, Fendt, Massey Ferguson and Valtra tractors (and a few others we won’t mention ). You will be pleased to know that this is an area of speciality for AGCO.

Regardless of what you gift each other this holiday season, everyone at AGCO and our brands wishes you a safe and joyful holiday and a prosperous new year. Happy Holidays everybody!

The post Top 5 Gift Ideas to Get a Farmer this Holiday Season appeared first on AGCO Blog.

AGCO’s IDEAL Combine Makes Its Premiere Appearance In Farming Simulator 19

Some of our newest additions include the IDEAL combine harvester range which was developed from scratch based on the feedback from our customers and our industry-leading engineers and designers. Available through our Fendt and Massey Ferguson brands, these 7, 8 and 9 performance class combine lead the industry in rotor length, threshing area and the grain tank capacity. To find out more about the industry-leading IDEAL combine harvester range, contact your local dealer or:

• Visit IDEALHarvesting.com if you are located in North America.
• Visit ideal.masseyferguson.com if you are in Europe & Middle East.
• Visit ideal.fendt.com if you are in Europe & Middle East.

All The Latest and Greatest Award-Winning AGCO Brand Products & More

Fendt 1000 Series Farming Simulator 19

Also joining the AGCO offering is the award-winning Fendt 1000 Vario Series which boasts a rating of up to 517hp. This high horse power tractor range embodies true strength combined with full traction, masterful controls and intelligent connectivity. The Fendt fans across the globe will now have 7 tractor ranges to choose from, giving you the perfect machinery option for your virtual farming needs.

We have also included our “Tractor of The Year 2018” award winning Valtra T series inclusive of the new Valtra SmartTouch armrest which brings together all tractor functions into one easy to reach console providing full customization. The 4th generation of the Valtra T series is the perfect high horsepower tractor range due to its low operating costs, reliability and ease of use. The T series is joined by the full suite of Valtra tractors including the A, N and S ranges which means you now have horse power options from 75 through to 271 to choose from.

The Challenger range has also been widened to include the track tractor MT800E Series and MT900E Series. Farming Simulator fans around the world will now be able to operate their farm like the professionals with the unmatched torque of our AGCO Power engine and the industry leading Mobil-trac undercarriage system which ensures maximum power to the ground – efficiently. If precision, power and performance are key to your farming operation, look no further than the impressive range of farming solutions that Challenger has to offer.

If that wasn’t enough, you also have new additions to the Massey Ferguson range of farm machinery which is back by popular demand. Massey Ferguson is the trusted farm machinery provider to millions of farmers across the world, both real-life and virtual. In the Farming Simulator 19 release you have tractor range options from 100 to 400 horse power, industry-leading combine harvesters, headers, tele-handlers and wagons to give you a full farm machinery package.

Here is a full list of all the AGCO brand additions to Farming Simulator 19 that will keep you entertained until the cows come home:

AGCO:

• IDEAL (Fendt, MF)
• DynaFlex 9255 Header (Challenger, Fendt, MF)
• PowerFlow Header (Challenger, Fendt, MF)
• 650 Weight
• 1100 Weight
• 1500 Weight
• 2300 Weight

Challenger:

• MT700 Series
• MT800E Series
• MT900E Series

Fendt:

• 500 Favorit
• 300 Vario
• 700 Vario
• 900 Vario
• 1000 Vario Series
• 900 Vario MT
• 1100 MT
• 3300 (Weight)
• Tigo XR 75 D\

Massey Ferguson:

• MF 5600
• MF 7700
• MF 8700
• MF 9407 S
• MF Activa 7347 S
• MF FreeFlow 25FT
• MF 3012

Valtra:

• A Series
• N Series
• T Series
• S Series

Be sure to get your copy of Farming Simulator 19!

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