Kramer Werke – in its new guise – is a relatively new entrant to the farm machinery sector in Ireland (through its alliance with John Deere).
It has just joined the membership of the FTMTA (Farm Tractor & Machinery Trade Association) – Ireland’s representative body for the farm machinery trade.
Kramer provides material-handling equipment (under its own brand-name) for distribution through John Deere’s dealer network. In that context, it was a first-time exhibitor at this year’s FTMTA Grass & Muck, with its own stand. It also featured in John Deere’s ‘demo area’.
Based in southern Germany, the company manufactures a range of self-propelled material-handling machines, including all-wheel steer loaders, telescopic wheel loaders and telehandlers.
The entity is represented here in Ireland by Adrian Wilson – the company’s recently-appointed Irish market development manager.
The FTMTA Executive Council released a statement saying: “We are happy to welcome this new member to the ranks of the association.
“We remain committed to continuing to develop the membership of the association to represent the Irish farm machinery industry as completely as possible.
“The membership is now in excess of 200 firms – drawn from all aspects of the farm machinery sector.”
‘Strategic alliance’
The background to all of this is that John Deere and Kramer announced (last year) that compact, all-wheel-steer and telescopic loaders under the Kramer brand would, where possible, be sold through the John Deere sales network – as part of a “strategic alliance”.
Also Read: Kramer and Deere ‘marriage’ is now a reality here in IrelandThe deal has long since been confirmed. In the Republic of Ireland, Kramer loaders are now being marketed through some – but not all – John Deere dealers.
Presumably, in a case where a John Deere dealer will not offer Kramer products, it is because the dealer already holds a franchise for a competing loader or materials handler (i.e. a scenario where a John Deere dealer might already be a franchised agent for, say, Caterpillar).
In any case, several John Deere dealers up and down the country have already embraced Kramer.