The Wahpeton community was the headquarters of AGCO-AMITY JV LLC (AAJV), which Väderstad AB acquired in May, forming Vaderstad Inc.

Vaderstad Inc. is now based in Wahpeton and has begun fully integrating the Wil-Rich, Wishek and Concord product lines into its seeding, tillage and planting product lines. Integrating the brands into the Väderstad Group gains the company access to distribution outlets in the United States, a news release from Väderstad said.

The facility in Wahpeton today employs 120 people in a 325,000-square-foot space that includes manufacturing, parts, and research and development.

The new facility will be built beside the existing operation. The mixed-use space will have approximately 44,000 square feet, containing office space and a cafeteria. The new facility also will include training classrooms, a media theater, and an 11,000-square-foot exhibition hall to host dealer staff and technician training, customer clinics, and public events.

“As we embark on our journey to expand our footprint in the U.S. market, we continue to look for ways to provide significant value to our brand, our dealers, and our growers,” said Vaderstad Inc. Managing Director Jason Strobbe.

Member since 1972 |

Wil-Rich will be integrated into the Väderstad global group of companies under the company name Väderstad Inc.

Since 2011, Wil-Rich has designed and manufactured the Wil-Rich, Wishek and Concord brands of products, which are sold through 270 dealers worldwide with a concentration of dealers in the U.S.

The acquisition offers the Väderstad Group access to distribution outlets in the U.S., as well as a U.S. manufacturing facility and the “benefit from the heritage and strong reputation of the Wil-Rich, Wishek and Concord brands,” an announcement from Väderstad said.

“AAJV has a strong position on the U.S. market combined with a product portfolio that gives us a more complete product offering in North America,” said Mats Båverud, president & CEO of Väderstad.

AAJV is jointly owned by AGCO and AMITY since 2011 and today has 110 employees.

Keith Whitaker, CEO of Wil-Rich, characterized the acquisition as “a great day for the company, the Wahpeton community and our employees.”

He said the “combination of our highly skilled team and Väderstad’s solid and extensive experience will enable the company to provide a broad set of agronomic solutions for our farmer customers while achieving our growth objectives with our dealer partners.”

Väderstad Inc. has appointed Jason Strobbe as its new managing director. Strobbe also is the vice president of sales and marketing for North America.

Väderstad Industries Inc. produces the Seed Hawk precision air drill for the North American market.

Member since 1972 |

Väderstad AB, one of the world’s leading companies in tillage, seeding and planting has today announced the acquisition of 100 percent of the AGCO-AMITY JV LLC (AAJV). Based out of Wahpeton, North Dakota, AAJV, also known under the name Wil-Rich, will be fully integrated into the Väderstad global group of companies under the company name Vaderstad Inc.

Since 2011 AAJV manufactures, designs, and supports the Wil-Rich, Wishek and Concord brands of products with 270 dealers globally, most of them in the United States. Integrating AAJV into the Väderstad Group allows Väderstad to gain access to distribution outlets in the USA, a manufacturing facility in the USA as well as benefit from the heritage and strong reputation of the Wil-Rich, Wishek and Concord brands.

– This acquisition is in line with our long-term ambition to grow on the North American market. AAJV has a strong position on the US market combined with a product portfolio that gives us a more complete product offering in North America, says Mr. Mats Båverud, President & CEO of Väderstad.

AAJV is jointly owned by AGCO and AMITY since 2011 and today has 110 employees and a manufacturing facility of 30 000 m², a parts distribution warehouse, and a research and development facility in Wahpeton, North Dakota.

– We see this as an excellent opportunity to increase our footprint in the US. Our vision remains the same; to be the world’s leading partner for an outstanding emergence. With the acquisition of AAJV we’re even more excited about the future, says Mr. Henrik Gilstring, VP Business Development and co-owner of Väderstad.

 AAJV currently has a strong product line serving a broad range of tillage and seeding needs such as field cultivators, disc harrows, shank drills, disc drills and air carts.

– This is a great day for the company, the Wahpeton community and our employees. The combination of our highly skilled team and Väderstad’s solid and extensive experience will enable the company to provide a broad set of agronomic solutions for our farmer customers while achieving our growth objectives with our dealer partners, says the current CEO of AAJV, Mr. Keith Whitaker.

Jason Strobbe is appointed new Managing Director for Vaderstad Inc. Strobbe also holds a position as VP Sales & Marketing North America.

In 2013 Väderstad took full control over Canadian-based company Seed Hawk, after having been part-owners since 2006. The company based out of Langbank, Saskatchewan, is now Vaderstad Industries Inc. and produces the very popular Seed Hawk precision air drill for the North American market.