Krone passes the baton

Spelle/Lingen, 18 August 2010 – Last night at 8pm the time had come for Dr.-Ing. E.h. Bernard Krone to hand the leadership of the Krone group to his son Bernard. "After spending nearly five decades of active work in the company, the time has come for me to pass leadership to the fourth generation. I am very pleased that my son Bernard is now going to map out the route for our company to follow in the future. Naturally, I will be available at any time should he seek my advice", says Dr. Krone.

The official handover ceremony was embedded in a gala performance by 'Circus Krone', the biggest circus in Europe. In his speech, Bernard Krone (33) emphasized that he would continue leading the company according to the trusted Krone philosophy, which is "to maintain honest relations with our staff-members, customers and partners, to provide superior products and to excel by exemplary innovative power. These are the skills and qualities that have been adhered to for decades and made Krone the company it is today – a market leader in agricultural machinery and commercial trailers. Together with our trusted executive officers, the Advisory Board and our dedicated staff members, we will continue strengthen the position of Krone group and conquer new markets in the years to come."

The 2,400 guests gave both the outgoing and the incoming company owner standing ovations that lasted several minutes.

Company profile facts and figures:
Over the past fifty years, annual sales of the Krone group increased from 8.5 million euros to currently about 870 million euros. Today, the company is a market leader in Germany and Europe, both in agricultural machinery and commercial trailers.

Krone is one of the biggest employers in the north German Emsland region, home of the headquarters, the agricultural machinery factory, which employs 1,000 people, as well as of Agricultural Trade and Services, employing 200, and the commercial trailer factory at Werlte, which gives employment to nearly 520 people. In addition to its own direct workforce, the company also provides employment for 1,000 people at regional suppliers working exclusively for Krone.