It all Started in the Village of Taarup
Starting in the village of Taarup in 1877, with the production of the very first row cultivator, the story of Kverneland Group Kerteminde’s rise from a one-man operation to a globally known and respected manufacturer has been long and eventful. A rich and prestigious heritage defines Kverneland Group Kerteminde as a distinctive player within the agricultural business.
The Flail Forager Boosted Business
On 15th June, 1957 the very first Taarup forage harvester was tested and tried on a lucerne field at Hverringe Estate Farm, outside Kerteminde. The license and production rights were granted from the USA, and after some fine-tuning and modification, the Taarup forage harvester was ready for production.
What soon became the Taarup S-1500 revolutionised Danish agriculture and marked the start of a period of incredible growth at Maskinfabriken Taarup. By 1958 the first Taarup forage harvesters were already being exported. Soon after, a smaller version, the Taarup S-1100 was introduced. Both models were trailed versions, pulled in an offset position behind the tractor. Later a model pulled straight behind the tractor and models fitted onto the 3-pt mounting of the tractor, positioned next to the tractor, were introduced.
From being a manufacturer mainly supplying Danish farmers, Taarup developed into a global company, exporting to all corners of the globe. The product range was massively expanded with evermore sophisticated machines, such as the Unidry drying system, precision chop foragers, pick-up wagons, disc mowers, rotary rakes and rotary tedders.
The Taarup forage harvester remained the dominant product for the company for more than 45 years. The last Taarup forage harvester was produced in 2005, and was sold to Felleskjøpet in Norway.
The Mower History
The very first Taarup disc mower was introduced in 1968. Called Taarup TS 1650, it offered a working width of 1.68m and four round discs. In 1974 Taarup was the first manufacturer to combine a disc mower with a conditioner. With the Taarup TSC 2100, the mower conditioner concept was born. This was a new, more efficient system that both cut and wilted the crop in one pass.
In 1984 the first mower conditioner with a swath belt was introduced by Taarup. Larger foragers demand larger swaths, so Taarup introduced a swath belt solution, placing two swaths alongside each other. The swath belt is still a very popular solution in many markets.
In 1993, Maskinfabriken Taarup was acquired by Kverneland Group and the brand name Taarup was gradually phased out. The product range was incorporated into the Kverneland product range, now in red and green. The company was renamed Kverneland Group Kerteminde AS.
Kverneland Group Kerteminde was among the very first to introduce an entirely new concept within mowing. With the 5090 triple-mower, introduced in 2002, a massive 9 meter working width including swath belt brought new performance to the mowing job.
In 2013 the Kerteminde factory introduced an entirely new concept within the plain mower segment with a front mounted mower with actively driven swath former, designed for both narrow swathing and wide spreading.
In 2017 Kverneland Group Kerteminde received “Machine of the Year” for the 3rd time in 5 years for its mower range: in 2018 for GEOMOW, 2017 for Kverneland 3336 MT Vario and in 2014 for the front mower with auger solution.
Prepared for the Future
Today, Kverneland Group Kerteminde is the competence centre for forage equipment within the Kverneland Group. With a covered manufacturing surface of 50,000m² and 420 employees, it is still a company of considerable size. The factory is undergoing an intensive investment program, including implementation of Japanese manufacturing standards. The main product range covers disc mowers, rotary tedders, rotary rakes and bale choppers.
6th December 2017
