With the opening of facilities in Regina and Saskatoon last week, CLAAS of America has completed the first steps of its repositioning following Kramer Limited’s decision last year to leave the agricultural equipment business.
CLAAS-owned Canada West Harvest Centre in Emerald Park, just east of Regina, is a permanent full service retail centre offering service and parts with a staff of 15.
Canada West has also opened an interim facility in north Saskatoon in preparation for constructing a permanent home and is close to securing a third store at a location yet to be announced, said Doug Tibben, general manager.
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Independent dealerships Tingley’s Harvest Centre in North Battleford and Ag Authority in Kinistino, both in Saskatchewan, also feature CLAAS equipment, but the manufacturer believed that to rapidly fill the gap left by Kramer’s departure it had to go the company-owned dealership route.
Finding qualified enthusiastic staff quickly has been one challenge, said Tibben.
“The search for the right people to get this business going is a constant project for us. We started with myself a year ago and today we have 17 employees and we are probably going to add another three in the next couple of weeks.”
Canada West is projecting its coverage beyond its physical location with five service trucks.
“They are fully loaded, capable of doing anything in the field,” Tibben said.
It also set up on-farm parts bins, a collection of parts designed for emergency needs and secured with a deposit, which is paid for if the parts are needed.
The company has also pushed its winter inspection and preventive maintenance program to reduce the need for in-season repairs.
“Our goal is that our busiest time is going to be winter and our easiest time will be in-season.”
