Widely recognised as the country's most important business competition, the contest is organized by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Austrian daily newspaper ‘Die Presse', and financial data provider Kreditschutzverband von 1870 (KSV).
The ‘International' category is open to companies with an international structure, business model and value chain/customer structure. They must produce products or services of global market relevance, with exports accounting for a significant share of production and have overseas branches. The plant produces some 10,000 tractors a year for customers in Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and around the Pacific.
Commenting on the latest accolade, Hannes Woegerbauer, Plant Manager St. Valentin, stated: “Being named Austria's Best International Operating Company is a great honour and, underlines, once again, the ‘Quality made in Austria' status of our tractors, which our customers value and respect. This has helped us to further extend the markets to which we now export St. Valentin-manufactured tractors, which now include Japan, Korea and Uzbekistan.
“The Award is particularly valued in a year that has brought unprecedented and exceptional challenges for everyone within our company, supply chain partners and dealers. It has been tremendously encouraging that all have worked very hard to minimise the impact on production and sales– and most importantly to ensure the health and safety of our employees.”
St. Valentin, which has a long history of innovative agricultural technology and advanced, lean manufacturing techniques, thrives on the excellence, expertise and passion of its 600 employees, a high proportion of whom are part-time farmers. This guarantees a very high level of customer focus and is a major reason why the plant consistently achieves the high quality that farmers require.
Since it opened in 1947, the plant has produced around 600,000 tractors and enjoys an impeccable reputation within CNH Industrial. Coordinating 12,000 parts from over 400 suppliers around the world, it produces 24 product lines and 98 models, with 4,857 options on the highly adaptable assembly line, including Case IH Optum CVXDrive, Puma Series, Maxxum Series and Luxxum tractors, together with STEYR Terrus CVT, CVT, Impuls CVT, Profi Series and Multi models.
