Fella-Werke
Encyclopedia
Fella-Werke GmbH
is a German
forage
harvesting company based in Feucht
, Germany; (located just southwest of Nuremberg
in Bavaria
). It was established in 1918 as a harrow
manufacturing
company
, but since then has been through a lot of changes.
Currently, Fella has the industries largest product range of mower
s, tedders
and rakes
. The machine
s are a vibrant red
color with safety tarps in a bright yellow
color. The logo is also a vibrant red square with a white circle inside which states Fella in bold black letters. The Fella slogan is ‘Harvesting Energy’.
ian word ‘fellah’
meaning farmer
or peasant
. The ‘fallahin’ (plural) were used by pharaoh
s in ancient Egypt
to create their pyramids
. They still exist in Egypt today and are the lowest social class
. They are in a constant struggle to increase their social standing. This is believed to be a link between Fella and the journey to become one of the leading agricultural/forage harvesting companies.
manufacturing company. World War I
would soon be over and there would undoubtedly be an increase in farm equipment demand/sales and metal working production. Mr. Hackl and Mr. Löffler wanted to take advantage of this business opportunity. They also benefited by being involved in Isaria-Zählerwerke, (a company that produced radios
and was later purchased by Siemens
)
Isaria-Zählerwerke is a very important part of the history of Fella. The Board Members, which included Mr. Hackl, of Isaria-Zählerwerke decided to undertake the Bayerische Harzprodukte-Fabrik GmbH, a company that produced wood products. This company lease
d out their land to the furniture
company Karl Beer. This land also becomes important in the future of Fella-Werke. When Mr. Josef Hackl brought his idea to the Board Members of Isaria-Zählerwerke and the Bayerische Harzprodukte-Fabrik GmbH they thought it could work and decided to undertake it.
They decided to give the Bayerische Eggenfabrik AG (later to be known as Fella-Werke GmbH) a beginning share capital of 300,000 German Marks to set up the new company. The general thought was that after World War I there would be an increase in the demand of metal work. This demand could not be satisfied by the Munich
based Isaria-Zählerwerke alone.
Mr. Albert Löffler left Isaria-Zählerwerke on December 31, 1917 and on the 1st of January, 1918 he became Managing Director of the Bayerische Eggenfabrik AG in Feucht
, Germany
. The formal founding of the company took place on February 9th, 1918 simultaneously while acquiring the land from the furniture company, Karl Beer. The plot was approximately 9.3 acres (3.75 hectare) and was acquired for 168,000 German Marks.
Under the leadership of Mr. Albert Löffler, what is now known as Fella-Werke GmbH, began as a harrow
production company
. It did not take long before Fella started acquiring other companies, however. In 1923, Fella acquired a loader wagon company and in 1924 they added the production of plough
s to their line. In 1931, Fella took over Epple & Buxmann out of Augsburg
. This was a crucial step in their harvest
ing technology. In this acquisition Fella began their first production of mowers, tedders and rakes mainly for grain production.
In 1954, there was the introduction of Jupiter, a self-propelled combine harvester. This harvester was very modern and advanced for the time, being able to work through not only one, but many different types of grain. In 1966, Fella added yet another product to their line; silos. In the 1980s and 1990s Fella really began to focus on their forage product range. They kept a large product range, but focused on advancing in the forage harvesting industry.
Fella has still been making technical innovations in the field with the world’s largest mounted disc mower (working width: 33.92 ft or 10.34 m), the 36.09 ft (11 m) and 42.65 ft (13 m) tedders, and the TS 40000 rake.
In 2004, Fella was acquired by ARGO
whom decided that their subsidiary company, Laverda
, would become the parent company of Fella. In 2007 it became necessary for ARGO to sell 50 % of Laverda. They sold that 50% to AGCO
and in late 2010 AGCO announced its intensions to buy the remaining shares of Laverda, thereby purchasing Fella-Werke GmbH as well. This purchase was finalized in March 2011.
s, tedders
and rakes
including conditioners
and other attachments.
The drum mowers come from 5.41 ft (1.65 m) to 10.04 ft (3.06 m) for a single mower.
Disc mowers, on the other hand, come with a working width of 5.45 ft (1.66 m) up to 30.51 ft (9.30 m). These come with several different options; tine or roller conditioners as well as a conveyor belt to form a swath immediately after mowing.
Currently, Fella has the largest tedder on the market; the TH 1800 Hydro is a 57.41 ft (17.50 m) tedder. There are also small attachments for alpine tractors; TH 400 DS Hydro which is 13.12 ft (4.00 m).
Rakes include an 11.15 ft (3.40 m) TS 301 DS as the smallest alpine machine, and the TS 4000 which has a working width of 41.01 ft (12.50 m). There are several different patents and innovations here, one being the ‘jet effect’.
In 1997, Fella brought in a new concept to the way their manufacturing plant was set up. The decision was made to create four self-governing buildings. Each of these buildings would be responsible for its own machine type; one building for drum mowers, one for disc mowers, one for tedders, and one for rakes. There would be two responsible managers for the factory workers as well as the production requirements and plant management. Because of these modifications that helped increase productivity, and improve flexibility and quality, Fella won the 1998 International Best Factory Award.
Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung
Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung is a type of legal entityvery common in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other Central European countries...
is a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
forage
Forage
Forage is plant material eaten by grazing livestock.Historically the term forage has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used more loosely to include similar plants cut for fodder and carried to the animals, especially...
harvesting company based in Feucht
Feucht
Feucht is a municipality southwest of Nuremberg in the Middle Franconia of Bavaria, Germany. The name Feucht is derived from the Old High German noun "viuhtje" - "fichta", which is the tree spruce . As of July 31, 2005, had a population of 13,590...
, Germany; (located just southwest of Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
). It was established in 1918 as a harrow
Harrow (tool)
In agriculture, a harrow is an implement for breaking up and smoothing out the surface of the soil. In this way it is distinct in its effect from the plough, which is used for deeper tillage. Harrowing is often carried out on fields to follow the rough finish left by ploughing operations...
manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
, but since then has been through a lot of changes.
Currently, Fella has the industries largest product range of mower
Mower
A mower is a machine for cutting grass or other plants that grow on the ground. Usually mowing is distinguished from reaping, which uses similar implements, but is the traditional term for harvesting grain crops, e.g...
s, tedders
Tedder (machine)
A tedder is a machine used in haymaking. It is used after cutting and before windrowing, and uses moving forks to airate or "fluff up" the hay and thus speed-up the process of hay-making...
and rakes
Hay rake
A hay rake is an agricultural rake used to collect cut hay or straw into windrows for later collection . It is also designed to fluff up the hay and turn it over so that it may dry. It is also used in the evening to protect the hay of the dew...
. The machine
Machine
A machine manages power to accomplish a task, examples include, a mechanical system, a computing system, an electronic system, and a molecular machine. In common usage, the meaning is that of a device having parts that perform or assist in performing any type of work...
s are a vibrant red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
color with safety tarps in a bright yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
color. The logo is also a vibrant red square with a white circle inside which states Fella in bold black letters. The Fella slogan is ‘Harvesting Energy’.
History of the Name
The origin of the name Fella is not entirely clear, however, the common believe is that it was derived from the EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian word ‘fellah’
Fellah
Fellah , also alternatively known as Fallah is a peasant, farmer or agricultural laborer in the Middle East and North Africa...
meaning farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
or peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
. The ‘fallahin’ (plural) were used by pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
s in ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
to create their pyramids
Egyptian pyramids
The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt.There are 138 pyramids discovered in Egypt as of 2008. Most were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found...
. They still exist in Egypt today and are the lowest social class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
. They are in a constant struggle to increase their social standing. This is believed to be a link between Fella and the journey to become one of the leading agricultural/forage harvesting companies.
History
In 1917, Mr. Josef Hackl and Mr. Albert Löffler came up with the idea to create a harrowHarrow (tool)
In agriculture, a harrow is an implement for breaking up and smoothing out the surface of the soil. In this way it is distinct in its effect from the plough, which is used for deeper tillage. Harrowing is often carried out on fields to follow the rough finish left by ploughing operations...
manufacturing company. World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
would soon be over and there would undoubtedly be an increase in farm equipment demand/sales and metal working production. Mr. Hackl and Mr. Löffler wanted to take advantage of this business opportunity. They also benefited by being involved in Isaria-Zählerwerke, (a company that produced radios
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and was later purchased by Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
)
Isaria-Zählerwerke is a very important part of the history of Fella. The Board Members, which included Mr. Hackl, of Isaria-Zählerwerke decided to undertake the Bayerische Harzprodukte-Fabrik GmbH, a company that produced wood products. This company lease
Lease
A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the lessee to pay the lessor for use of an asset. A rental agreement is a lease in which the asset is tangible property...
d out their land to the furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
company Karl Beer. This land also becomes important in the future of Fella-Werke. When Mr. Josef Hackl brought his idea to the Board Members of Isaria-Zählerwerke and the Bayerische Harzprodukte-Fabrik GmbH they thought it could work and decided to undertake it.
They decided to give the Bayerische Eggenfabrik AG (later to be known as Fella-Werke GmbH) a beginning share capital of 300,000 German Marks to set up the new company. The general thought was that after World War I there would be an increase in the demand of metal work. This demand could not be satisfied by the Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
based Isaria-Zählerwerke alone.
Mr. Albert Löffler left Isaria-Zählerwerke on December 31, 1917 and on the 1st of January, 1918 he became Managing Director of the Bayerische Eggenfabrik AG in Feucht
Feucht
Feucht is a municipality southwest of Nuremberg in the Middle Franconia of Bavaria, Germany. The name Feucht is derived from the Old High German noun "viuhtje" - "fichta", which is the tree spruce . As of July 31, 2005, had a population of 13,590...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The formal founding of the company took place on February 9th, 1918 simultaneously while acquiring the land from the furniture company, Karl Beer. The plot was approximately 9.3 acres (3.75 hectare) and was acquired for 168,000 German Marks.
Under the leadership of Mr. Albert Löffler, what is now known as Fella-Werke GmbH, began as a harrow
Harrow (tool)
In agriculture, a harrow is an implement for breaking up and smoothing out the surface of the soil. In this way it is distinct in its effect from the plough, which is used for deeper tillage. Harrowing is often carried out on fields to follow the rough finish left by ploughing operations...
production company
Production company
A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...
. It did not take long before Fella started acquiring other companies, however. In 1923, Fella acquired a loader wagon company and in 1924 they added the production of plough
Plough
The plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
s to their line. In 1931, Fella took over Epple & Buxmann out of Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
. This was a crucial step in their harvest
Harvest
Harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
ing technology. In this acquisition Fella began their first production of mowers, tedders and rakes mainly for grain production.
In 1954, there was the introduction of Jupiter, a self-propelled combine harvester. This harvester was very modern and advanced for the time, being able to work through not only one, but many different types of grain. In 1966, Fella added yet another product to their line; silos. In the 1980s and 1990s Fella really began to focus on their forage product range. They kept a large product range, but focused on advancing in the forage harvesting industry.
Fella has still been making technical innovations in the field with the world’s largest mounted disc mower (working width: 33.92 ft or 10.34 m), the 36.09 ft (11 m) and 42.65 ft (13 m) tedders, and the TS 40000 rake.
Present
Fella-Werke GmbH is still located in Feucht, Germany. The present product range focused on forage harvest implements: mowers, tedders, and rakes. Fella is still known for having the largest forage harvesting product range, as well as professional sized machinery.Management
Fella also went through many management changes; in 1988 there was a management buy-out where Mr. Peter Timmermann became the managing director and in 1999 Mr. Timmermann sold the company to a Dutch investing group (Netagco) who invested heavily in Fella. Netagco invested specifically in upgrading the old buildings as well as building a new assembly hall and a more modern office building.In 2004, Fella was acquired by ARGO
ARGO SpA
ARGO SpA is a family-owned Italian holding company owned by the Morra family that manufactures agricultural equipment.-History and Growth:It was founded by Valerio Morra in 1980 with his purchase of MBS Spa. In 1987, ARGO purchased Pegoraro Spa of Vicenza. Sixty-six percent of Landini was purchased...
whom decided that their subsidiary company, Laverda
Laverda (harvesters)
Laverda is a manufacturer of combine harvesters and hay equipment, based in Breganze, Italy. It was founded in 1873 by Pietro Laverda to produce farming implements in the Province of Vicenza. 1963 was the year the first self-propelled Laverda combine was manufactured, the M120. Laverda formed a...
, would become the parent company of Fella. In 2007 it became necessary for ARGO to sell 50 % of Laverda. They sold that 50% to AGCO
AGCO
AGCO is an agricultural equipment manufacturer based in Duluth, Georgia, USA. As a leading global manufacturer of agricultural equipment, AGCO offers a full line of tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage and tillage equipment, which are distributed through more than 2,700 independent...
and in late 2010 AGCO announced its intensions to buy the remaining shares of Laverda, thereby purchasing Fella-Werke GmbH as well. This purchase was finalized in March 2011.
Current Machinery Range
Fella currently offers drum mowers, disc mowers, mowerMower
A mower is a machine for cutting grass or other plants that grow on the ground. Usually mowing is distinguished from reaping, which uses similar implements, but is the traditional term for harvesting grain crops, e.g...
s, tedders
Tedder (machine)
A tedder is a machine used in haymaking. It is used after cutting and before windrowing, and uses moving forks to airate or "fluff up" the hay and thus speed-up the process of hay-making...
and rakes
Hay rake
A hay rake is an agricultural rake used to collect cut hay or straw into windrows for later collection . It is also designed to fluff up the hay and turn it over so that it may dry. It is also used in the evening to protect the hay of the dew...
including conditioners
Conditioner (farming)
A conditioner is an agricultural machine that crimps and crushes newly cut hay to promote faster and more even drying. Drying the hay efficiently is most important for first crop hay, which consists of coarse stalks that take a longer period of time to draw out moisture than finer textured hays,...
and other attachments.
The drum mowers come from 5.41 ft (1.65 m) to 10.04 ft (3.06 m) for a single mower.
Disc mowers, on the other hand, come with a working width of 5.45 ft (1.66 m) up to 30.51 ft (9.30 m). These come with several different options; tine or roller conditioners as well as a conveyor belt to form a swath immediately after mowing.
Currently, Fella has the largest tedder on the market; the TH 1800 Hydro is a 57.41 ft (17.50 m) tedder. There are also small attachments for alpine tractors; TH 400 DS Hydro which is 13.12 ft (4.00 m).
Rakes include an 11.15 ft (3.40 m) TS 301 DS as the smallest alpine machine, and the TS 4000 which has a working width of 41.01 ft (12.50 m). There are several different patents and innovations here, one being the ‘jet effect’.
Manufacturing Plant
Since the founding of Fella in 1918 the property size has grown and decreased in size. In the beginning Fella was approximately 9.3 acres (3.75 ha) and at one point grew to be approximately 43.46 acres (17.59 ha). At its current size Fella is 11.37 ft (4.60 ha) with five separate buildings.In 1997, Fella brought in a new concept to the way their manufacturing plant was set up. The decision was made to create four self-governing buildings. Each of these buildings would be responsible for its own machine type; one building for drum mowers, one for disc mowers, one for tedders, and one for rakes. There would be two responsible managers for the factory workers as well as the production requirements and plant management. Because of these modifications that helped increase productivity, and improve flexibility and quality, Fella won the 1998 International Best Factory Award.
External links
- fella.eu (official website)