Mitas wins AGCO top supplier award

MARKTOBERDORF, Germany (Dec. 18, 2015) — Farm equipment maker AGCO Corp. has named Mitas a.s. its Supplier of the Year 2015 in the category Engineering & Innovation, in large part due to its development of the AirCell inflation system, which is part of the Fendt VarioGrip Pro system.

“Mitas' close collaboration with AGCO is long-lasting, and our relations are outstanding,” said Jens Steinhardt, Mitas' key account manager.

“In particular, the cooperation with Fendt on the AirCell project, which is part of the VarioGrip Pro, was highly intensive and successful.”

This is the third award for the AirCell project, Mr. Steinhardt said. It earlier earned the Agritechnica Gold Medal and the Machine of the Year 2016 prizes.

Mitas a.s. photo

Mitas' AirCell features a dual-chamber inflation system that uses an inner tire, mounted on the rim inside the larger tire and inflated to a maximum of 115 psi and which occupies about 30 percent of the volume of a larger tire, to provide a source of pressurized air to help adjust the psi of the larger, outer tire, Mitas said.

AGCO presented Mitas with its award at its EAME region (Europe, Africa and Middle East) supplier day in Marktoberdorf at the end of November.

Fendt and Mitas started working on the AirCell system seven years ago, Mitas said.

AirCell is an integral part of the VarioGrip Pro along with the pressure regulation system.

The idea for the inner tire was originally patented in 1962. Other major manufacturers attempted to develop working solutions, but Mitas claims only it and Fendt have succeeded.

Agco plans to equip its Fendt 900 Vario with Mitas 710/75 R42 SFT featuring and AirCell concept — marketed as VarioGrip Pro — starting in November 2016.

Duluth, Ga.-based AGCO goes to market with five primary brands — Challenger, Fendt, GSI, Massey Ferguson and Valtra.

Mitas, part of CGS Holding a.s., is being acquired by Sweden's Trelleborg A.B. and will become part of what Trelleborg claims will be the world's largest ag tire producer.

Related Articles
Trelleborg: 'structural changes' on tap in '16
Most Popular
1
Atlanta mourns slain tire shop owner Maurice Davis
2
Bridgestone unveils Turanza Prestige for sedans, CUVs
3
CEAT debuts MultiloadMax radial construction tire
4
ATD completes sale; Ira Silver named CEO
5
Nokian CEO: Tenn. plant cushions effects of tariffs
SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
Letter
to the
Editor

Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Tire Business would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor Don Detore at [email protected].