Kubota to Acquire Member Company Great Plains

Kubota Corporation announced Friday that it has entered into an agreement to purchase Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc.

The acquisition will include all five Great Plains divisions, the company’s locations in Kansas, and a manufacturing plant in Sleaford, England.

The acquisition builds upon Kubota’s nine-year partnership with Land Pride, a division of Great Plains that produces grounds maintenance equipment. Land Pride provides implements to Kubota dealers and customers.

“This acquisition aligns with our long-term strategic vision to continue our market expansion and provide high-quality products and comprehensive solutions for our customers,” said Masato Yoshikawa, president and CEO of Kubota. “Great Plains and Kubota share a common set of values in that we both were founded four decades ago on a reputation for quality, innovation and engineering excellence. We believe these synergies will continue to add value for our dealers and our customers for many years to come.”

Kubota Corp. is based in Osaka, Japan, and is the parent company to Kubota U.S.A., Inc. Great Plains is based in Salina, Kansas.

For the foreseeable future, all five Great Plains divisions will continue to operate as they have been with their infrastructure intact. In addition to Land Pride, Great Plains includes divisions that manufacture seedbed preparation, nutrient application, and seed placement equipment, an international division, a nationwide fleet of flatbed trucks, a corporation that finances the company’s products.

“Once final, this acquisition is going to lead to great advancements for both businesses without being a significant change for our people,” said Todd Stucke, senior vice president of sales, marketing and product support for Kubota. “We intend to respect the distinctiveness of the brands, trademarks and operational strengths.”

Roy Applequist, who founded Great Plains in 1976 and remains chairman today, will continue on the leadership team to assure a seamless transition.

“My plan is to play a significant role in helping Great Plains become a vital part of the Kubota family,” Applequist said. “Great Plains’ leadership position in the agricultural implement business has been earned by striving to do our best in satisfying our customers’ needs, and we are confident that teaming up with Kubota will allow us to continue to uphold this tradition.”

Partnering with Applequist in overseeing and managing the transition is Linda Salem, president of Great Plains.

“I’ve worked alongside Roy for 26 years, and I intend to carry forward the entrepreneurial and successful legacy that he has created at Great Plains,” she said. “I’ve also worked collaboratively with Kubota for over 10 years, which has allowed us to create a foundation for a strong working relationship that we will continue to build as we move forward.”

Great Plains has been a member of this Association since 1980. The company’s story began much like so many others in the Association. Applequist set out to develop a new grain drill for the Central Plains. He spent months interviewing farmers about their grain drill needs, and in response, produced a 30-foot folding press drill.

In its first years, Great Plains operated out of a 6,407-square-foot shop. The company grew from its modest beginnings to become one of the largest family-owned farm equipment manufacturers in the United States.

It employs more than 1,400 people in eight communities in north central Kansas and a plant in England. S