Maybe the visitor center needs a fact check.

Im finally getting old enough to say "I don't care what they tell you, I was there, and this is how it was".     In late 2001 I personally signed a order for a new 2002 MT 765 from Ziegler Caterpillar in Marshall mn.   Never saw one in person, just the sales lit.  AGCO had 0% to do with anything, it was a CATERPILLAR product that has CATERPILLAR on all the paper work still sitting in my drawer.  At that point in my life, I could not tell you what AGCO did for a living.   The only AGCO recognition was 2x5 inch stamped plate serial number riveted on.

In late December our Zeigler salesman sat us down and told us about the Agco acquirement.    In VERY early 2002 the MT 765 showed up on a truck.      In feb of 2003 we had an MT 735 show up.   That was built in Dekalb Illinois also.    Yes at that time Agco's name was put on a tractor that was 100% designed by CAT and put together by CAT employees probably paid by Agco, in a CATERPILLAR assembly plant that to this day Im not sure what goes on since 2003 when Agco decided to move production to Jackson.   (which is great for a MN guy like me)    FYI: the 35-55's have a challenger logo on them too.




This was written by Robert Radcliff (CEO AGCO) in 2002.


ACQUISITION OF CATERPILLAR TRACK TRACTORS OPENS NEW OPPORTUNITIES: 

In December,we announced another major acquisition that we believe will generate a new 

growth opportunity for AGCO.We agreed to purchase the agricultural equipment business 

of Caterpillar,mainly a new range of track tractors from 225 to 500 horsepower.Caterpillar 

has been in the design,manufacture,and distribution of a range of track tractors,generally 

focused on the broad-acre or corporate farm customer,for more than 15 years and has gar- 

nered a major share of this particular market segment.The track tractor features the highest 

horsepower available to pull multiple implements with minimal ground compaction.Such 

work is possible only with the track system.The Caterpillar acquisition includes the design 

of the new MT 700 and MT 800 series product;the production operations at DeKalb,Illinois; 

supply and technology agreements with Caterpillar for long-term manufacturing;and product 

development.The agreement also includes the ownership of the Challenger brand name,the 

use of the CAT logo on the Challenger track tractors,and the authorized distribution of any 

AGCO products through the CAT dealer network,garnering AGCO unrestricted market 

access throughout the world.