"Conceived in Germany, born in China"

The EVION was developed at our headquarters in Harsewinkel and manufactured in our Chinese factory in Gaomi. On a recent visit, our Director of Product Unit C-F, Bernd Kleffmann, and Director of Quality Management, Sebastian Pleuler, spoke to General Manager Dr. Xi Chen about the new combine harvester, its development during the coronavirus pandemic, and China's significance for CLAAS.

Mr. Pleuler and Mr. Kleffmann, this is your first visit to the Gaomi factory in a long time. What are your impressions?

Bernd Kleffmann: Well, it's been three and a half years since my last visit, so it's quite a long time. It's great to meet up with colleagues again and see firsthand how the site has continued to develop even during the coronavirus pandemic.

Sebastian Pleuler: It's a special visit for me too. I was lucky enough to work at the Gaomi site for two years and then visited again for a couple of months. But this is my first return visit in four years, and it's a real pleasure to see so many friends again—and practice my Chinese with them (he laughs)! When I look at the factory, I see a certain degree of continuity, as well as a huge amount of progress. We have optimized everything—from our infrastructure to the machines that we now manufacture here.

Why is a production facility in China so attractive to CLAAS?

Dr. Xi Chen: China has a population of 1.4 billion, making it the world's largest market for agricultural products. At the same time, China's agriculture is undergoing mechanization and automation on an unprecedented scale, which is driving demand for powerful, efficient, and reliable agricultural machines. China also has excellent industrial infrastructure. There are many very attractive suppliers and a highly qualified workforce. These factors enable us to manufacture a very wide range of products at our factory in Gaomi—from the H80, DOMINATOR 370, and DOMINATOR 260 combine harvesters to the EVION. We also have a very extensive sales and service network in China. That alone illustrates how important the factory is to CLAAS.

Pleuler: I could not agree more. However, we need to turn the question around. Why, as a global business, should we not be active in China? Especially after building up such a capable workforce at the factory over the last ten years and optimizing the production capacities.

Dr. Chen, there was a specific reason for Mr Pleuler and Mr Kleffmann's visit to Gaomi. Can you tell us more?

Chen: We have been preparing for the series production of the new EVION combine harvester here for a number of years. Mr. Kleffmann and Mr. Pleuler have been closely involved in this process and wanted to get an overview of what we have set up here. They have also visited customers and key suppliers.

The EVION was mainly developed during the coronavirus pandemic. Given China's strict lockdown measures, how did that work in practice?

Kleffmann: It certainly wasn't easy. From spring 2020 onwards, traveling to China became very difficult as restrictions constantly changed. So we had to find new ways of working together using programs like Skype or Teams and manufacturing and product design software like Catia and Delmia. But the fact that we were accustomed to working closely together before the pandemic meant that we were already on a sound footing when it came to keeping in touch virtually. In addition, a number of colleagues undertook several arduous trips to China involving hotel quarantines. Dr. Chen himself traveled to Harsewinkel and back to Gaomi three times—facing a three-week quarantine each time. We are so grateful for his dedication and that of the others who endured these hardships.

What's so special about the EVION combine harvester?

Kleffmann: The EVION is designed for small and medium-sized farms, often family farms whose owners still drive the combine harvester themselves. It is based on the same modular design principle as the LEXION and TRION. We can't wait to welcome the latest member to our combine harvester family! This also explains the slogan of our marketing campaign, 'Family Matters.'

Pleuler: Customers will be deploying the first 50 machines to bring in the harvest this summer. We are very excited to see how the EVION will be received—having worked on it for almost five years now. I was delighted when the first preseries machines were shipped to Germany at the start of the year. It marked a real milestone for what is a very special product for us—conceived in Germany, born in China. One of our logistics service providers fitted the machines with the equipment required to conform to German specifications in Bremerhaven. Then, the combine harvesters underwent a final check in Harsewinkel, where a few last-minute improvements were made. Having spent several years working with customers to extensively validate the EVION, we are delighted to be able to hand the machine over to more farmers!

Mr. Kleffmann and Mr. Pleuler, what will you take away personally from your meeting in Gaomi?

Pleuler: Well, I have several gifts—Chinese food, a scarf for my wife, lots of tea, and toys for my children (he laughs). But above all, I feel that we have an excellent factory in Gaomi with several fantastic colleagues—in both personal and professional terms.

Kleffmann: I feel the same. I sensed just how strongly the people in the factory identify with CLAAS and how passionate they are about our products. That makes me very optimistic about our future projects.

Chen: I'm really pleased to hear that. I hope that we can deliver many more development projects together and that we will increasingly see CLAAS innovations coming from China in the future. But we can discuss that in more detail when I return to Harsewinkel next month (he laughs).

Profile

Dr. Xi Chen, 46, has been the General Manager of the CLAAS factory in Gaomi since 2020.

Bernd Kleffmann, 53, is Senior Vice President Product Unit Combines Range C-F at CLAAS.

Sebastian Pleuler, 37, is Director of Quality Management at CLAAS Business Unit Grain.