Focus on the people.

For 20 years now, most CLAAS tractors have been manufactured at our factory in Le Mans, France. During that time, the production process has continuously evolved. This ongoing development ensures customer loyalty. Farmer Pascal Paumier benefits, in particular, from being close to his manufacturer of choice.

For decades, Pascal Paumier has farmed just nine miles away from the CLAAS tractor factory in Le Mans. And he has his work cut out for him. On his 1,100-acre mixed farm, he grows 370 acres of corn, 220 acres of wheat, 60 acres of canola and 15 acres of barley, as well as 345 acres of pasture for his 450 cattle. On top of that, he has four poultry sheds measuring 4,300 square feet each. Together with his wife Sylvie, who is always at his side, they own and operate the farm. Two years ago, their son Adrien and another employee joined them.

Many hands lighten the load, but Pascal Paumier would not get very far without his powerful machines. No fewer than three CLAAS tractors help him and his family with their work. An ARION 620 has been a faithful companion since 2011. Then, in 2016, he bought the AXION 830 for heavy work. Finally, in 2021, Pascal Paumier added an ARION 650 to his fleet. For harvesting, he relies on his TUCANO 450 and VARIANT 480 round baler.

Pascal Paumier remains loyal to CLAAS for two main reasons. First, he is delighted with the design and construction of his CLAAS machines. He notes: "I particularly appreciate the level of comfort in the cabs." Second, his proximity to the CLAAS factory is an unbeatable advantage for him—not least because it helps the environmentally minded farmer reduce his emissions for shipments.

Historic tradition, pioneering production.

In 2003, exactly 20 years ago, CLAAS acquired Renault Agriculture’s tractor factory in Le Mans. The site has long been associated with agriculture in the region: the first tractor rolled off the assembly line in the 1930s—a success story going back almost 100 years. With around 1,000 employees, CLAAS now rolls out 10,000 machines every year on over 750,000 square feet of floor space. That’s 50 tractors a day!

In the two decades that CLAAS has been manufacturing tractors in this town in northwestern France, people have always been at the forefront. Of course, that primarily means customers—but the factory also turns its focus inwards to its own people; the main aim of the continuous development process in Production is to ensure that staff feel at ease and, therefore, achieve the best results. So, in 2017, the factory was completely transformed from a dark, enclosed shed to a light, airy workplace. This had the effect of improving well-being and motivation. Other areas were modernized, too, such as the logistics system. Yet, even when it comes to IT upgrades, the CLAAS factory in Le Mans always focuses on the people. "We define Industry 4.0 by asking which digital systems help people to work better. We always put our employees at the center of everything we do", says Sébastien Paté, Head of Lean Strategy in Le Mans.

Forward together.

Since CLAAS took over the site, Pascal Paumier has also been involved in the continuous development process— even before the test center was built. He likes to help out when CLAAS wants to test new machines. He adds: "We phone one or two weeks before we plan to do a special job on our farm. Then, if CLAAS has a new machine and they need testing in this area—we both reap the rewards." This collaborative approach gives him the opportunity to suggest improvements based on his practical experience and helps develop CLAAS innovations. Many of the staff at the test center have known Pascal Paumier for decades: "The partnership works very well. We have known most of the people at CLAAS since the early days."

All tractors in Le Mans are made to order. "No two identical tractors roll off the assembly line in any given two-month period," says Sébastien Paté. This presents many challenges that require the factory to be continuously optimized. You need to keep your wits about you when you're producing a different model every day, and the growing complexity of the machines means that continuous further development is needed. "We work with around 350 different suppliers," Material Planning Manager Aurelie Auriaults explains. Her 20-strong team makes sure that the factory always receives all the components needed for production. "We plan our material requirements on a monthly basis to meet the highly customized specifications."Further, her team's job is becoming more complex. "As the tractor product portfolio has continuously grown in recent years, so too has the number of components we have to process. We are installing more and more electronics now." However, this doesn't deter the Planning Manager; it is quite the reverse—it motivates her. "We are constantly learning new things in this job, and no two days are the same. And it's great to be able to tackle these challenges with an awesome team."
The CLAAS ethos is evident in Le Mans—the highest quality at all times—whether for employees in the workplace or farmers in the field. Farmer Pascal Paumier is quite clear about one thing: he looks forward to continuing the long-running, shared success story well into the future.