ON TRACK FOR GROWTH Valtra is a leading manufacturer of tractors in the Nordic countries and South America. Philip Yorke spoke to Mikko Lehikoinen, the company’s sales and marketing director, about its new generation of advanced ‘eco-tractors’ and its unique, customised approach to the market.
V
altra develops and manufactures a wide range of tractors for the forestry and agricultural industries. The company is based in Finland and is the brand leader in Scandinavia and the second most popular brand in Latin America. Valtra has manufactured tractors since 1951, but its roots can be traced back to 1832 and today it operates some of Europe’s most advanced factories at its plants in Suolahti, Finland. Today, Valtra tractors are sold in more than 75 countries worldwide and represent
42 Industry Europe
the global brand of the AGCO Corporation of America, a fortune 500 company that is the world’s third largest agricultural equipment manufacturer with sales of around $7 billion.
More power and cleaner engines Valtra has always been committed to leading the field when it comes to investing in new technology and the development of cleaner, more efficient engines. As a result, the Valtra S-series was the first agricultural tractor in the world in 2008 to feature AGCO e3 SCR
(selective catalytic reduction) technology. The latest S-series has now entered its third generation, all of which feature higher torque ratings and a reduction in cab noise levels. The SCR engines on the latest models also benefit from the use of AdBlue, which is an additive that is sprayed into the exhaust to clean the emissions still further in the catalytic converter. Furthermore, engine cooling has been improved to allow Valtra S-series tractors to be used to work with even bigger loads and in extremely hot conditions.
