As part of the new branding process and the consistent orientation of the GEA Farm Technologies Segment towards becoming a full-range supplier for the milk production and livestock industry sectors we have now changed our name from GEA WestfaliaSurge GmbH to GEA Farm Technologies GmbH.

For some time our previous name has not been representative of the company for which we stand. The change of name was absolutely necessary in order to achieve the next level. It is an extensive process of change within the company in order to better position the company as a complete, full-range supplier for the global market. After successfully launching our GEA Farm Technologies brand in 2008 we took the next step and have also completed the transformation into a full-range supplier at both a formal corporate level and in terms of the company name.

Equal positioning

The new name gives a clear indication of what product lines focus on. The main focus of GEA WestfaliaSurge was clearly on milking and cooling equipment. The GEA Farm Technologies company name represents the equal status of all of our product lines. The new company name also makes a big difference when acquiring new companies.
The latest acquisition is Mullerup, one of the leading automated feeding systems companies with its headquarters in Denmark, and demonstrates the direction that we are moving in - A targeted and consistent expansion of our portfolio with the aim of becoming a full-range supplier.

In the eyes of farmers, we will remain Westfalia for a long time to come. But companies in the consumer goods industry have shown that names also have a significance for the end-customer. Innovation and good work will obviously remain a matter of course for us.

The motto of Expo 2000 "The future is created through ideas" is particularly applicable to us: We are well-positioned, we have a stable management team and we have rationally defined our interfaces. I am thinking of the Business Units (BUs) in particular. Here is where visions are developed. Here are the people who have a thorough understanding of the market, who are always up-to-date, who are constantly exchanging information with the Research & Development department and who always keep an eye on the state-of-the-art developments within universities and related industries.

Customised and standardised

"Visions without action degenerate into illusions." We are aware that the challenge we face is enormous. Our top priority is to actively merge our distinct product lines. In doing so we must not forget that the various markets each require an individually adapted product range.

We have set ourselves an ambitious time frame. By the end of this year we want to have achieved a globally-uniform livestock and product philosophy. This will require a lot of work because different markets also think differently; for instance, unlike in Europe, no-one in the USA would think of placing manure channels underneath slatted floors. The "vacuum", "water consumption", "teat liners", "manure" areas and even the diameter of piping are all regarded and treated differently. We must achieve a standardised line.

There is no use in specifying rules if not everyone understands the exact underlying ideas. However, the committed global collaboration between individual departments, our companies and the BUs shows that we are on the right track. We have made considerable progress in the "Youngstock Solutions" area, in particular, and are developing a complete range for rearing young animals.
We already have high-quality individual products in our range, such as calf feeders, parlour equipment or the truly groundbreaking UV Pure - equipment for purifying calf milk. However, up to now we lacked an overall concept. The customers will not sufficiently accept our products until we have a coherent strategy for establishing a comprehensive package for this area and a suitable market presence.

They guarantee our success.

Although the new system and strategy are important, on their own they do not guarantee our progress and our future. This can primarily be achieved through committed and innovative employees. We will continue to inform you about them and their commitment. But no longer in the form of our segment's own printed employee magazine, pulsator, but rather in the interdisciplinary publication, GEA life.

In addition to news, informative and entertaining articles about our segment and your colleagues, the publication also offers us the opportunity to look beyond our own segment and read exciting information, data and stories about our sister segments. Merging all of the existing employee magazines into one single magazine is one further consistent step along the path toward merging the GEA segments.

The values will not be lost

They guarantee your diversity, which is now mirrored by the new appearance of our homepage. Now every user can find what they are looking for with just a few clicks. The web-site has a clear, modern appearance and shows the complete range of our products and services. A single glance shows that we are on the right track to becoming a full-range supplier. That has now finally become clear with the company name change to "GEA Farm Technologies".

Despite all the orientation towards the future, our first priority is always quality and the customer. Our "old" values will by no means be lost but rather form the foundation for the future.