Kubota Corporation has announced plans to purchase Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc., based in Salina, Kansas.  The purchase will expand the current partnership with Land Pride and includes all five Great Plains divisions, their multiple facilities in Kansas and a manufacturing plant in England.

“This acquisition aligns with our long-term strategic vision to continue our market expansion and provide high-quality products and comprehensive solutions for our customers,” said Mr. Masato Yoshikawa, president and CEO of Kubota Tractor Corporation. “Great Plains and Kubota share a common set of values in that we both were founded four decades ago on a reputation for quality, innovation and engineering excellence. We believe these synergies will continue to add value for our dealers and our customers for many years to come.”

The company intends to continue running the Great Plains divisions as they have been operating.  The goal is to bring about advancements for customers without causing significant changes for workers, explains Todd Stucke, senior vice president of sales, marketing and product support for Kubota. “We intend to respect the distinctiveness of the brands, trademarks and operational strengths. Doing so will allow employees, dealers and customers to do business with the same great companies they have come to know and trust.”

Roy Applequist, Great Plains’ founder and chairman, and Linda Salem, president of Great Plains manufacturing are staying on to continue their leadership roles and help create a seamless transition.

The acquisition builds on Kabota’s newly expanded presence in Kansas, where they recently announced Edgerton as the North American Distribution Center for the U.S. and Canada.