German machinery manufacturer Lemken has reached an acquisition agreement with the South African owned seeding manufacturers Equaliser. This will allow Lemken to expand its product portfolio in seeding technology. With a focus on minimal ground disturbance to no-till farming, the Equalizer product range includes precision planters with up to 36 rows and seed drills with a working width of up to 24m. The acquisition is expected to be completed by spring 2023, once regulatory approvals have been obtained.
Complementing portfolios
Lemken CEO Anthony van der Ley believes that the Equalizer portfolio perfectly complements the Lemken seed drill segment and constitutes an important building block for further growth. “There is no overlap in our portfolios. Equalizer offers solutions for customers and markets that Lemken has not been able to serve so far. An additional, optimal synergy arises for Lemken precision seeding technology, as the Delta-Row technology developed by Lemken is complemented by single-row technology established by Equalizer.
Equalizer, which is also a family business, was founded in Cape Town in 2000 and currently employs 180 people. The company serves not only its South African home market, where it is the market leader in precision seeding, but also Australia as its most important export market. “We see great potential for new products with Lemken on our side, and we look forward to our future collaboration. At the same time, we are proud that this agreement reaffirms the success and hard work of the entire Equalizer team and our local dealers over the past 22 years,” says Gideon Schreuder, Equalizer’s founder and managing director, emphasising that Equalizer will continue to support its customers as an innovative and reliable partner.
