CLAAS expands dealership presence in beef-rich Ontario

While America and Mexico take the top two ranks in North American beef production, Canada is still home to a thriving beef industry. Every year in Canada, over 3 million cattle are raised & slaughtered, with much of that beef destined to be consumed across the country. Most Canadian cows are raised in Alberta, but Ontario runs a strong second, with approximately 700,000 beef cows slaughtered every year.

These cows need to eat- a lot. According to agricultural researchers, the typical cow will eat between 55 and 60 pounds of corn silage per day. To grow a single cow from 300 pounds to 1000 pounds on corn silage alone, that would require approximately seven tons of silage- or about 22 acres of corn.

With all of these bovine mouths to feed, many farmers across Canada rely on CLAAS forage harvesters. CLAAS of America recently announced an expansion of their partner dealership in southwestern Ontario:

CLAAS dealership GJ’s Farm Equipment has announced several changes to their southwest Ontario location. The full service dealership will be changing their name to “GJ’s Harvest Centre Inc.” and will expand their CLAAS business focus. To accommodate the growth targets, GJ’s will nearly double in size — adding an additional 7,500 square feet to the current facility.

“Just three years after opening, in 2003, we began our partnership with CLAAS after picking up the hay tool line. Now, 17 years later, we couldn’t be more excited to expand our business even further with the premium brand of CLAAS products,” says Gary Klyn, founder of GJ’s Farm Equipment, now GJ’s Harvest Centre Inc. “With the expansion brings a new name change, which will better represent us as a focused dealer for CLAAS. CLAAS is a world-class company committed to expanding their business in southwest Ontario and we are thrilled to grow with them.”

GJ’s began as a repair shop in 2000 by Gary and his wife, Corrie. Since then, their customer commitment has expanded to include the sale of new and used equipment as well as exceptional parts and service departments. The facility’s expansion will allow them to continue providing top-of-the-line, dependable equipment for their current and future customer base.

“GJ’s Harvest Centre Inc. represents what it means to be a committed CLAAS dealer, and we are excited about their upcoming expansion,” said Eric Raby, President and General Manager – Sales, CLAAS of America. “The southwest Ontario region remains an important market for CLAAS, and with the new and improved facility, we are able to continue our growth and expand our brand’s reach in the area. This is a direct reflection of the hard work and relationships GJ’s has built with their growers.”

Their website, currently under construction, can be found here. Their Twitter page can be found here.

Extreme Industrial Coatings has performed work for dairies, cattle farms, and custom harvesters across the United States and food processing plants in Canada. We have used our patented Vulcan Grip® coating to repair hundreds of CLAAS and Krone chopper pulleys- eliminating excessive belt slip and restoring pulley grooves to the original factory profile. Farmers, ranchers, and chopper operators all benefit from an increase in productivity, reduced downtime, and a boost in fuel efficiency. We re-machine, protect, and warranty CLAAS and Krone pulleys for 80% of the cost of an uncoated, disposable dealer pulley.

To learn more about Vulcan Grip and how it can benefit your chopping operation, click here.