Company Profile
Simba International Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Great Plains Mfg., Inc based in Salina, Kansas, USA.
Founded in 1976 by the company’s Owner and President, Roy Applequist, Great Plains today is the largest non-tractor, privately owned agricultural tillage and seeding manufacturing company in the States. It manufactures a broad line of products including implements, grain drills, air seeders, planters, trailed sprayers, compact tractor implements and zero-turn self-propelled mowers.
The company employs approximately 1,000 people, has a total of more than 1 million square feet of modern manufacturing facilities across 8 separate central Kansas sites, operates its own finance division, and runs a fleet of 60 articulated lorries Great Plains has a very strong dealer network across North America and has enjoyed growing success overseas. In recent years, Eastern Europe has become a strong market with sales and service locations established in Ukraine, Southern Russia and Bulgaria.
Two great brands join forces
While Simba adds many world-class products to the Great Plains line, it also gives Great Plains a team of people that are experienced in the design, marketing and selling of cultivation and seeding equipment throughout Western Europe – and, not least a first class manufacturing and marketing location from which to base its growing European presence.
It is the intention of the combined companies to offer a broad range of tillage, seeding and planting equipment throughout Europe and other countries worldwide.
Simba branded equipment including the X-Press, SL, DTX300 and DD Rings are already generating great interest among Great Plains dealers throughout the USA and beyond in Europe, South Africa and New Zealand.
Simba staff are also working closely with the Great Plains team to identify Great Plains products that, either with or without modifications, will be of interest to farmers in the UK and central and southern Europe. The Great Plains Land Pride range of equipment also offers real potential for penetrating the UK and European amenity management and landscaping markets.
New cultivator drill on target
Both companies are making real and rapid progress on the development of an exciting new European specification cultivator drill which is on target for launch in the second half of 2011. The new drill will be marketed in Simba colours in the UK and various European countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand. In the interim period, Simba will continue to market and distribute the Horsch range of cultivator drills.
Find out more about Great Plains at www.greatplainsmfg.com
