Case IH’s manufacturing facility in St. Valentin, Austria, which produces tractors from 100hp to 300hp and is owned by the parent company CNH Industrial, has received the prestigious title of ‘Efficient Company of the Year’, one of the categories in the ‘Factory 2020’ competition organized by Fraunhofer Austria and Austrian Industriemagazin.
Ten of the leading manufacturing companies in Austria participated in what has been one of most difficult years ever for the manufacturing sector due to the challenges presented by COVID-19. These have tested even the most experienced management and production teams, together with all elements in the supply chain.
The Award was the culmination of a comprehensive process involving self-evaluation, detailed questionnaires, on-site assessments and in-depth interviews with key personnel. After rigorous scrutiny, the original group of 10 companies was narrowed down to four. These finalists were put through a comprehensive evaluation process by judges from Fraunhofer Austria, which researches application-oriented solutions for the benefit of the economy and society, together with Austrian Industriemagazin, the leading medium for decision makers in the manufacturing sector.
The St. Valentin factory, which has built approximately 600,000 tractors since 1947, covers 170,180m2, employs 600 staff from 18 different nationalities and enjoys an impeccable reputation within CNH Industrial. Incorporating World Class Manufacturing (WCM) principles, it was the first CNH Industrial agricultural plant within the Europe Region to achieve Silver WCM status.
One of St. Valentin’s greatest strengths, and key to its ongoing success, is the high level of manufacturing flexibility which is possible on the highly-adaptable assembly line. Almost unique in the agricultural machinery sector, this enables a wide range of tractor models to be produced, regardless of the type of construction, equipment line or country-specific emission standards. Yet, despite its complexity and efficiency, it provides a relatively quiet, relaxed working environment.
Coordinating 12,000 parts from over 400 suppliers around the world, the factory produces approximately 10,000 tractors annually for customers in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Case IH Optum CVXDrive, Puma Series, Maxxum Series and Luxxum tractors are manufactured there, amongst a total of 24 product lines, 98 models and 4,857 options.
Hannes Wögerbauer, Manager of the St. Valentin factory, states: “We are delighted to win this prestigious award, but this was only possible thanks to the dedication and commitment of the employees who make our production better, safer and more efficient.”
