Kinze made an exciting leap last fall by opening its first production facility abroad in Vilnius, Lithuania. The decision to go overseas was made in spring 2013 in order to support a growing market in Eastern Europe.
After nearly five decades of production taking place exclusively in the heartland of America, setting up a new facility nearly 5,000 miles away required careful planning and countless man-hours.
Finding the perfect location, acquiring equipment, equipping the facility, molding a proficient team, and getting everyone up to speed took considerable dedication from numerous individuals. What an achievement it was for all of us at Kinze to see the facility up and running last fall.
The Lithuanian staff has since grown to 17 employees and this team hit a milestone recently by rolling out their 100th crop planter. The first planters were shipped to customers in Russia and Ukraine, though the Lithuanian factory will also manufacture planters for farmers in Eastern Europe.
“Opening the Lithuanian facility has allowed us to provide better and faster service to our European customers,” said Susanne (Kinzenbaw) Veatch, vice president and chief marketing officer for Kinze. “We look forward to continued growth in order to share Kinze’s innovations with farmers across Eastern Europe.”
The move also frees up production capacity at our U.S. headquarters in Williamsburg, Iowa (where all Kinze planters for the North American market will continue to be built) so Kinze can continue to provide American farmers our best and latest innovations in a swift and timely manner.