21 metres of SL make an impression in the Czech Republic
A PICTURE SAYS 1,000 WORDS
We’ve seen some great pictures of Simba kit over the years, but this one is a bit special – 21 metres worth of SL cultivator in the same field!
This impressive combination has been turning heads in the Czech Republic, and is seen here working some stubborn, high clay-content soils near Prague.
The three SLs are all being pulled behind QuadTrac 535 tractors, and have been spending this summer doing a round of demonstrations on a wide range of stubbles, including wheat, oilseeds, sunflowers and maize.
One combination is the demonstration unit run by our importer Agri CS, while the other two are being borrowed from their farmer-owners.
DESIGNS ON THE FUTURE
Simba’s growing team of design and engineering staff are the latest beneficiaries of the on-going development plans at the company’s Sleaford factory.
As well as now being located in smart new renovated offices, they are also able to work very closely with their counterparts in the Great Plains design department thanks to a new integrated computer system.
This enables colleagues sitting some 4,500 miles apart to work together when designing new machines, something that is proving very important to those involved in designing the new cultivator drill that Simba aims to launch in Europe in 2011/12, as Adrian Hartley, Simba’s Chief Engineer, explains:
“The new system means the two design teams can work together on the integrated development projects which will be so important in the future for both companies.
“Obviously the new drill is the focus of attention at the moment, and we expect many more machines for use in the UK and across Europe to be produced through this system in the future”.
Elizabeth Hotchkiss enjoys her new role
SIMBA AIDS STUDENT’S STUDIES
Simba’s design team is being augmented this year by the addition of Elizabeth Hotchkiss, a placement student from Harper Adams University College.
She is in the third year of a four year Engineering Design and Development course, which entails a year’s placement at an engineering company:
“I’m settling in quickly and really enjoying myself and learning a lot about machinery design, and about the materials involved”.
Colin Adams, Operations Director, says Simba is keen to establish firm links with colleges and offer opportunities to students to gain practical experience of the engineering workplace:
“All machinery companies need to attract talented young professionals looking for a rewarding career in the farm machinery business and we hope Elizabeth is just the first student from Harper Adams to join Simba and gain valuable experience in the business”.
SEE THE RANGE AT TILLAGE
See the DTX cultivator, fitted with a fertiliser placement kit and seeder, at Tillage
Simba will be staging working plots at both Tillage events, showing a full range of our existing equipment.
At the first event (Leverton Farms, Lincoln – Tuesday 14th September) we will be highlighting the flexibility of Simba kit by running a DTX cultivator with a fertiliser placement kit and seeder fitted, a system that has produced some excellent oilseed rape yields in this year’s dry conditions due to the excellent moisture retention and establishment it achieved.
Also on show will be an SL400; 3m X-Press and ST Bar; a 5.5m X-Press; 4.6m UniPress; 4.6m CultiPress, a Pronto DC6, Sprinter 4 and both Terrano FG and FX models.
For the second event (at Berghill Farms, Brechin on Thursday 7th October) we will be showing a 3.5m X-Press and ST Bar; an SL400 with an Aqueelor fitted behind it – an ideal combination for finishing and pressing seedbeds in one pass on lighter soil types – a 4.6m UniPress, 3.5m hydraulic FlatLiner and DTX300, alongside a Terrano FX5; Pronto DC4 with split grain/fertiliser hopper and a Sprinter 6 drill.
ALL GO IN OZ...
Simba is poised to make fast progress in Australia and New Zealand, after key staff from importer Power Farming Group received a detailed introduction to the company’s equipment from Simon Revell and Ally Wharton.
Simon is excited about prospects in the region:
“We held a training session at Geelong for the company’s product and sales managers, which covered the 3m Mounted Express and ST Bar; trailed X-Press range and SL cultivators. We will also show them the FlatLiner soon.
“This was the first time they had seen the machines themselves, and we had a very constructive, practical session with them, before also introducing the equipment to selected dealer staff.
“Products are going to all the areas of Australia to which we think they are appropriate, and we see very good potential for Simba products to help Australian farmers improve the speed and cost effectiveness of their crop establishment. We expect field trials completed over the next six months will reinforce the equipment’s potential.
“The Power Farming Group has many field trials and technical days planned across Victoria, New South Wales and into the sugar cane growing areas of Queensland, as well as interest in selected areas of Western Australia and Tasmania”.
...AND BIG INTEREST IN NEW ZEALAND
(from left to right) Graeme Leigh, Alistair Horrocks and Bruce Campbell at the FAR Conference
In New Zealand Power Farming Group has a host of leads to follow up, as General Manager Graham Leigh reports:
“We sponsored the FAR International Grain Growers conference, which was held at Ashburton on the South Island and attracted 250 leading arable farmers from right across the country.
“We had SL cultivators and both trailed and mounted X-Presses on display in front of the main conference hall and elsewhere around the event, and we have since had enquiries from all points between Invercargill in the far South of the South Island, right up to Hamilton in the North Island.
“We have had a wet winter and are headed for a late spring, but once we can get onto the land the Simba demonstration programme will start, and we will be running the DTX and FlatLiners alongside the SL and X-Press”.
The 3m X-Press draws a crowd for Axial
FIELD DEMO TOUR CRISS CROSSES HUNGARY
We are expecting a good response to the recent 16-date field demonstration tour that Hungarian importer Axial Ltd staged this summer, says Janos Szili, Simba’s Territory Manager:
“This demo tour introduced around 1,000 visitors to Simba’s range of cultivators.
“We introduced them to our approach to non-inversion, reduced pass cultivations, and highlighted that these methods are already available and offer a quick return on investment for farmers in Hungary, even those using tractors of 200hp and below.
“Moreover Simba’s innovative products can provide additional agronomic benefits like leaving the soil easier to work in subsequent years, retaining moisture through the action of DD rolls and reducing the risk of erosion and ponding, which is still a serious problem all over the region due to poor and damaged soil structure as a result of bad cultivation practices over recent decades.
“The tour generated plenty of enquiries for on farm demonstrations. Despite being so busy in the middle of the cultivation season we will try to visit all of these people as soon as possible to demonstrate to them our superior and unique tillage technology and show them how it can be put to work in their fields, with their existing tractors”.
VECTEN GETS FRANCE GOING – VITE!
Jean-Sebastien Vecten
French national Jean-Sebastien Vecten is our new Territory Manager for France, replacing Rob Iddeson who is moving to join Horsch GB.
Jean-Sebastien (34) is from a farming background, his family being based near Toulouse in South West France, but now lives at Islip, Northamptonshire. He will work closely with our importer Bonnel to develop the French market.
He has experience of setting up sales networks across Europe, and joins us from a French landscaping equipment manufacturer, for whom he was UK territory manager, working with a network of dealers to supply and support their equipment across the country:
“I’m looking forward to working with French farmers and to ‘returning home’ to some extent. I will be working with an industry and people I love, and am really excited to be joining Simba at such a challenging time”.
Simba’s UniPress will receive its French debut at InnovAgri
NEW MODELS AT INNOVAGRI
Simba Bonnel is set for a busy InnovAgri event, which is being held at Outraville, from Tuesday 7th to Thursday 9th September.
The company will be introducing two machines to the expected 90,000 visitors, and hopes to build on the success of the X-Press, as Pierre Bonnel explains:
“We will be showing a 5.5m UniPress and the DTX300, which are new machines for France. We have concentrated on establishing the X-Press over the past few years, and that is now a well-respected and strong selling range.
“We believe there will be a market for the UniPress in selected regions among the large number of farmers who still plough and need a tool to level and consolidate seedbeds effectively, which the UniPress does.
“We are also going to ‘test the market’ for the DTX, because French farmers have not really seen anything like it before”.
MARTYN TO LEAD DEMO EFFORT
Martyn Hall
Martyn Hall is joining Simba as Machinery Demonstrator, and will take a leading role supporting our dealers in demonstrating equipment to farmers.
Aged 22, he lives near Peterborough and has wide experience of working on arable farms.
Of particular value to his new role is the fact that he was among the first drivers to operate the SL, having been employed on one of the Lincolnshire farms where pre-production models were field-tested.
He’s looking forward to the challenge of helping show Simba equipment off to best effect: “I’ve always been interested in farm machinery and am looking forward to helping Simba develop in future”.
Colin Adams
MORE PARTS ON THE MOVE
Hard working conditions at the start of the cultivation season have helped ensure Simba’s Parts Department continues to be very busy.
The department actually despatched a greater volume of parts by the end of August 2010 than in the average of full years between 2006 – 2009.
“While we are keeping up with demand – and delivered £750,000 worth of parts in August alone – we would urge farmers to order as early as possible to ensure they get the parts they need”, says Colin Adams, Operations Director.
“Many of our dealers now order the vast majority of parts online via the dedicated area of our website, which is helping achieve faster turn-round of orders, and farmers can help by ordering parts in good time”.
WATCH OUT FOR FINANCE SCHEME
Simba will again be offering attractive terms in its 2010 UK Finance Scheme. Full details of this will be announced at the beginning of October with the scheme itself starting on Monday October 15th.
If you do not normally receive details of the scheme please register with us for your chance to get the sharpest deals on the best equipment!
If you would like to receive details of this scheme and you are located in the UK, you can register here.
SIMBA GREAT PLAINS WORLD
2010 has been a momentous year for Simba, with the buy-out by Great Plains and a host of other major stories.
We’ll be publishing a lot of new information in our new magazine, Simba World, and if you would like to receive a copy register here.
