New Holland Agriculture Celebrates 125 Years of History. Making Farming More Productive, Efficient and Sustainable
In 2020, New Holland Agriculture, a global agricultural brand of CNH Industrial N.V., turns 125 years old: more than a century of commitment towards five generations of farmers across the globe, making their lives easier and the agricultural business more efficient and sustainable.
The values and vision of New Holland’s founders are the beating heart of the brand to this day, as it celebrates 125 years at the farmers’ side, providing the support they needed at all times, constantly investing and innovating so they would have the products, technologies and services to farm efficiently, sustainably and profitably.
“New Holland has a rich heritage started in a small town of Pennsylvania and has grown to be a global brand with presence across 170 countries. It is a history marked by important innovations that have changed agriculture. It brings together the unique legacy of brands such as Ford, Fiat, Braud and Claeys,” said Carlo Lambro, Brand President, New Holland Agriculture. “Most important of all, it is a history marked by people: our customers, our dealers, our employees, day after day, year after year. Together, we are facing the many challenges of agriculture, helping farmers get the job done, efficiently and profitably, and get the best from their business.”
“We are living in extraordinary circumstances that are changing how we live and work in ways we could never have imagined,” he added. “This situation has highlighted the vital role of agriculture and brought to the public’s attention how important farmers are in their life. Agriculture has reacted to the crisis with strength, successfully ensuring the food supply without disruption in the face of exceptional difficulties. And New Holland has remained at the farmers’ side throughout, providing the support they needed. We continue to invest in the future, and we will make the most of the possibilities of new technologies, connectivity, automation and alternative fuels – working together towards sustainable agriculture.
"As we celebrate our 125th anniversary, at this unprecedented moment in history, we look to the future with confidence.”
New Holland’s history: our legacy of innovation
New Holland was founded by agricultural pioneers whose rich legacy lives on in the values that drive the brand today. Abe Zimmerman who understood the importance of meeting customer needs with simple solutions and reliable support and whose small machining company founded in New Holland, Pennsylvania in 1895 would one day grow into a worldwide brand; Henry Ford, who had the visionary aim to make innovation and mechanisation accessible to all and produced the world’s first mass produced tractor in 1917; Giovanni Agnelli who saw how a solution developed for a specific local need could be extended to provide farmers across the world a smart solution with easy-to-use, innovative machines, demonstrating its first Fiat tractor in 1918; Leon Claeys, who dedicated his specialist knowledge to making farmers’ lives easier and led to the first European self-propelled combine harvester in 1952. One hundred and twenty-five years on, New Holland remains the reliable, open and responsive, innovative, and sustainable partner to farmers across the world.
New Holland today: the farmer’s partner for every season
Today, New Holland remains at the side of its customers, building close, long-lasting relationships to work in partnership for their success. It helps its customers operate efficiently and profitably with industry-leading solutions focused on innovation, sustainability, and outstanding cost efficiency that address the megatrends driving agriculture – digitalisation and connectivity, automation, servitization and alternative propulsion.
It is also one of the most digitally connected brands in the industry with its PLM™ solutions. It is working towards a future where farmers can run their operations more proactively, turning the farm into a connected and smart ecosystem.
New Holland has also pioneered sustainable agriculture and alternative fuels through its Clean Energy Leader strategy, which has led to the development of the Methane Power tractor prototype, closing the circular economy loop with a tractor powered by methane or biomethane, which can be produced on the farm. In the coming years, it will continue to drive agriculture’s transition to renewable fuels, taking forward its methane project, which is at the heart of its commitment to sustainability.
New Holland's main sustainability product milestones
1917: Ford produces the Fordson Model F, the world’s first mass produced tractor, helping the world’s farmers ultimately increase yields and help start to reduce the hard, physical labor associated with agriculture.
1952: Claeys launches the first European self-propelled combine harvester, essential in helping farmers manage the increasing yields, which were needed to feel a growing global population.
1999: New Holland launches its Precision Land Management (PLM) solutions. By using advanced digital technologies to map fields and electronically track yields and inputs, this was the start of advanced, digital farming.
2006: New Holland launched its pioneering Clean Energy Leader® strategy. This cemented New Holland’s position as the leading proponent of sustainable farming, and would lead to commercializing numerous sustainable agricultural solutions
2007: New Holland approves 100% Biodiesel for its entire engine range.
2010: La Bellotta Farm in Italy is selected as the first Energy Independent Farm™, a farm which is able to satisfy all of its own energy needs from the farm itself.
2016: First autonomous New Holland concept NHDrive™ tractor is presented, which would enable farmers to unlock further productivity gains, as well as facilitating the upskilling of agricultural workers.
2019: New Holland launches the world’s first production 100% methane powered tractor. When running on biomethane produced from agricultural waste or waste products from the commercial agri-food industry, it reduces overall emission by 80%
