land_surfer
Guest
It isn't the Cat factory you get to tour, it is the world-wide headquarters and main manufacturing facility of ClAAS. The trip is incredible. I went two years ago and envy those who get to go, I would go again in a heart beat. You fly into Frankfurt and bus to the hometown of ClAAS (Harsewinkle, Germany),stopping along the way at folk village for a traditional german meal (get use to it),then to the Warsteiner Brewery for a tour and tasting (get use to it). Then you're off to Beelafeld, Germany where you will stay a couple days at a very nice Hotel (Mercury hotel I think). You then tour the main ClAAS plant where all green and white combines are produced, as well as the forage harvesters and the Cat lexions begin. You will also get to go buy for a quick viewing of one of four of Claas's foundaries and then to their production plant where all castings are finished into final drives, axles, tracked running gear; hydraulic valves, etc. and electrical components are produced and much more. Funny enough, they even make quite ab it for Deere and CNH there too. You also get to tour a unique division of Claas that isn't ag related but makes manufacturing tools such as gigs, frames, presses for Ford Mercedes and Ferrari and AirBus and Eurocopter, what I call ultra modern tools and production, some of which spills over to the combine production. Ford is their biggest customer in this division. These manufacturing tools make Mercedes and Ferrari axles and body compnents for Ford and the fusalage for AirBus passenger jets and Eurocopters. Next you tour the main Claas parts distribuiton center. This place is unbelievable. 60mph robot pickers and just rack after rack of parts of all sizes that can be shipped any where in the world in around 24 hours. Claas talks more about customer support world wide as the most important offer over their products. You then get to tour the huge cathedral in Cologne, Germany and have another traditional german meal (sausage and kraut and bbeer or "bier_pils") and then off to the wine making region of the rhine river for a tour of a vineyard and wine tasting and tour a midevil castle for a couple days and then head back down the road to Frankfurt again for the ride home. It is alot of fun. You must take note of how advanced and how huge Claas is. I remember the guy who traveled over with us and did all of the combine presentations saying that the Deere and CaseIH combine facilities combined would fit into the main claas facility in Germany. We see them for the Cat lexion and their hay and forage in the US, but in europe and other parts of the world claas is like "John Deere" to the states. You get to see a glimpse of Claas and have a great time in Germany. When you watch the claas video at their museum and showroom called the technopark they show plants all over the place atleast a dozen or so. The plane ride is easy. It takes about eight hours, but you meet up with plenty of other farmers going too that you get to talk to on the flight over and the drinks on international flights are free too making the trip easier. They even have beer and pretzels waiting on you when you get on the bus at the airport and 8:am. If you get the chance to go, do it. It will shed a whole new light on the lexion and Claas and their comittment especially in the North America