Loyalties are strong in the agriculture industry. This certainly holds true all the way to the color of the farm machinery brands that an operation runs. One ag manufacturer that knows a thing or two about colors and brands is the family-owned company called Claas. In fact, you may have owned one of their combines and didn’t even know it.

Now, Claas has reached a milestone at its Omaha, Neb., combine factory, celebrating 25 years since the first Lexion combine rolled off the production line there.

The timeline

From 1960 to 1970, Claas held the contract to make blue combines for Ford. In 1989, the company started making red Massey Ferguson combines. In the late ’90s, Claas and Caterpillar formed a joint venture that initiated the production of Caterpillar yellow Lexion combines, which moved to Omaha for production.

“What we had learned over the years is if grandpa ran a red or green combine, there is a good chance that the son is going to run that same color,” Mike Anderson, a retired sales division manager and current part-time tour guide, said when Farm Progress toured the Claas Omaha plant recently. “We were trying to get these folks to switch, and it was tough because a lot of people could not pronounce Claas at the time, but they were familiar with Caterpillar, so that got our foot in the door.”

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In 2001, just a couple years after production had started, Caterpillar decided to change course, focusing exclusively on the commercial and construction industry. Rather than shutting down the factory, Claas purchased Caterpillar’s share of the business and kept production going. Many of the Caterpillar dealers who had sold the first Caterpillar-branded combines remained loyal to Claas, continuing to sell the yellow Lexion combines in North America.

It wasn’t until 2019, during a significant update to the Lexion combine line, that Claas returned the combine colors to the seed green and red color scheme for which all Claas equipment is now known. A side panel of the last yellow combine to be produced in Omaha is now proudly displayed in the plant, signed by the employees who were there to witness the color change.

But a simple color change is not all that is happening in Omaha. With careful craftsmanship and innovative ideas, Claas now produces more than 500 combines out of the Omaha plant each year.

History of Claas

The large, family-owned ag equipment manufacturer was started in 1913 by August Claas in rural Germany. From there, the business was transitioned to his son, Helmut Claas, in 1978. Through years of progress, the company continues to be family-owned. The current chairwoman, Cathrina Claas-Mühlhäuser, is the granddaughter of Helmut.

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There have been more than 5,000 patents created by Claas, amounting to about one patent a week since the conception of the business 111 years ago. 

“It amazes me, being a farm kid, the inventions that Claas has had over the years,” Anderson said. “I was even able to utilize some of those, not even knowing they were invented by somebody here at Claas.”

Combines made in Omaha

From a class 6 to a class 10 combine, you can find all sizes of machines at the Claas Omaha combine plant. Lexion 6000, 7000 and 8000 series combines are carefully crafted each year with many different features that assist farmers when harvest time comes around. Here are a few of the features that come with these Omaha-made combines.

APS Synflow Hybrid. This system uses three cylinders upfront — called an accelerated pre-separation system – to thresh 30% to 35% of the grain before it hits two parallel rotors that finish the separation process.

Terra Trac. A fully suspended track system ensures that there is a smooth ride while maintaining flotation and maneuverability. Claas was the first manufacturer to offer a track system on combines.

Dynamic cooling. This cooling system allows for increased cooling capacity with lower service intervals. This is done by bringing cool air from above the combine into the system and pushing it out the side of the machine. By pulling air from above the combine, less dust is brought into the combine.

CEMOS automatic. This allows for automatic and continuous adjustments of the combine settings with the push of a button. “CEMOS will make those adjustments for that farmer before a farmer even realizes that he needs to make that adjustment,” Anderson said.

To learn more about Claas Omaha, check out its website at claas.com/en-us.