Glacier FarmMedia – With the grand opening on Nov. 20 of its new U.S. headquarters in Wahpeton, North Dakota, Väderstad wants American farmers to keep one thing in mind about the company: they’re here to stay.
The new two-level footprint in North Dakota is seen as a statement and aims to build a connection with North American customers and dealers and demonstrate the company’s commitment to the market.
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“We want to have world-class facilities, to provide world-class equipment to our customers, but also have world-class employees – and to do that we needed a facility like this to train,” said Jason Strobbe, vice-president of sales and marketing for Väderstad in North America.
Strobbe says the new North Dakota facility will benefit from the company’s global presence.
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“We are very interconnected globally,” says Strobbe. “We have a manufacturing plant and a lot of facilities in Sweden. We also have a very large factory in Langbank, Saskatchewan, and now of course we have this facility… we’ll be able to take the products here and grow the business and really have a world-class global organization with global products.”
When Väderstad acquired equipment-maker AAJV in Wahpeton in 2020, the deal included three brand names: Concord, Wil-Rich and Wishek. The deal was a stepping stone for Väderstad to begin building a familiarity with new potential customers in the U.S.
Up until now, the company has relied on imports to get its equipment in front of U.S. farmers, says Martin White, managing director for Väderstad’s U.S. operations.
“Now we’re slowly introducing the Väderstad brand name into the U.S. market as a base of operations,” adds White. “The technology has to leak over here. We’re not there yet but there is a technology transfer that will take place from the European side to the American side.”
The nearly 36,000-square foot headquarters has been designed to fit about 110 employees. A presentation-themed theatre holds up to 75 people and multiple training areas can accommodate up to 60 more. The new headquarters will eventually house Väderstad’s human resources, engineering, sales and marketing, finance, and operations teams.
