CASE IH: RISING TO THE CHALLENGES OF MODERN FARMING
Case IH helps professional farmers riseto the challenges of modern farming with market-leading agricultural solutionsand services. Our innovative products include tractors, combines, balers, hay and forage equipment, utility vehicles,sugar cane and coffee harvesters, and tillage, seeding, planting, application,material handling, and precision farming equipment. Case IH is committed to collaborating with its customers to develop the most powerful, productive and reliable equipment. All of our solutions are designed to meet today’s agricultural challenges – like feeding an expanding global population on less land while managing input costs.
Case IH uses the Customer Driven Product Design (CDPD) process, which means customer requirements are incorporated into product design from the beginning to deliver innovative new products, as well as the continuous improvement of existing products. This approach began with J.I. Case in 1842,and has driven 175 years of innovation in agriculture.
GENERATIONS OF INNOVATION
Throughout the years, every innovation Case IH has brought into the world was born of a single-minded vision – make agriculture’s tomorrow better than today.Our innovations are born in the field,from the practical needs of farmersall over the world. And that’s why our equipment is designed to till more effectively, plant more accurately, and harvest more efficiently.
Beyond technical innovations, our brand’s legacy lives in places that aren’t measured by yield. It lives in the hearts and memories of generations who have made their living from the earth – those supporting others by growing food, fiber and fuel for the world. For us, every innovation is a springboard to whatcan be re-imagined in the world of agriculture. One hundred and seventy-five years ago, we improved threshingby rethinking productivity. Continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible is what makes us who we are today.
THE BEGINNING: 1842-1942
In the mid-nineteenth century, America moved west and new farmswere established to feed the growing population centers of the East. During this time, Jerome Case moved to Racine,Wisconsin and started his business manufacturing threshing machines.As threshers grew to achieve greater capacity, more reliable sources of power were needed. Case produced its first steam engine in 1869, and today Old No. 1 is housed at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. By 1886,Case was the world’s largest producer of steam engines.
In 1902, five companies merged to form the International Harvester Companyin Chicago with the deal brokered byJ.P. Morgan himself. The company produced its first tractor in 1906 andits first combine harvester in 1915.Land was purchased in 1917 for what would become known as the Hinsdale test farm. This site is now the current location of the Burr Ridge Researchand Engineering Center, and was where the world’s first row-crop tractor − the Farmall − was developed in 1923. In 1936, the International Harvester Company changed the color of its tractors to the iconic red color that is still on Case IH machines today.In 1939, the second generation of Farmall tractors was launched with the introduction of the letter series.
THE GOLDEN YEARS: 1943-1984
The end of World War II initiated a period of prosperity for both Case and International Harvester with large gains in farm productivity as technological innovation accelerated. In 1947,International Harvester reached the milestone of producing its millionth Farmall tractor.
The Steiger story also began during this era when brothers Douglas and Maurice built their first tractor in their barn in 1957. The machine featured a higher horsepower than what was previously available on the market, and commercial production began in 1963.
In 1974, International Harvester built the 5,000,000th Farmall tractor. Three years later, the company launchedthe Axial-Flow rotary combine and revolutionized the industry with
unmatched productivity.
STRONGER THAN EVER: 1985-PRESENT
In 1985, the acquisition of the agricultural division of International Harvester - followed by the acquisition of Steiger Tractor in 1986 - brought new products and a strengtheneddealer network. The legacies of Case and International Harvester were now united in one brand: Case IH. In 1987 Case IH launched the Magnum tractor –the first all-new machine to come from the combined engineering of Case and International Harvester. The Magnum was the first tractor to win the Industrial Design Excellence Award thanks to its innovative and iconic design.
In 1995, Advanced Farming Systems were introduced to maximize productivity via satellite technology and today AFS continues to drive innovation in precision farming. In 1996, Case IH first launched the Quadtrac featuring four separate tracks that reduce ground compaction and increase traction. The tractor continues to evolve two decades laterand is hard at work at more than 15,000 farms around the globe.
The Case IH 175th Anniversary is a testament to many years of quality,perseverance and progress. It’s alsoan occasion to reflect on our guiding principles of innovative engineering,efficient power and agronomic design– a philosophy that continues to drive our innovation into the future with exciting new concepts like the Case IH Autonomous tractor. We look forward to the next one hundred and seventy-five years of bringing innovative agricultural products, solutions and services to customers around the world.