Zetor News december 2015

news

4 ZETOR by PininfaRina:a tractor with the look of a sports car

no.12december2015

7 ThE ZETOR PORTfOliO:Two new model series will be added

10 ZETOR CRySTal:Success after only six months on the market

N e W S A b O U T Z e T O r T r A c T O r S

ZeTOR wILL CeLeBRATe ITs 70TH AnnIVeRsARY In 2016

ZETOR by PininfaRina: a TRacTOR wiTh ThE lOOk Of a sPORTs caR

TwO nEw MODEl sERiEs will bE aDDED TO ThE ZETOR PORTfOliO

wE shOnE aT ThE agRiTEchnica TRaDE faiR. inTER-naTiOnal MEDia REPORTED On ZETOR by PininfaRina

wE aRE insPiRED by DEvElOPMEnT anD MODERniZa-TiOn, agREE ThE DiREcTORs Of ZETOR TRacTORs a.s.

ZETOR cRysTal: succEss afTER Only six MOnThs On ThE MaRkET

70 yEaRs wiTh ZETOR TRacTORs

Tractor is ZETOR. Since 1946. www.zetor.com

december 2015 NEWS ABOUT ZETOR TRACTORS

You have just opened the last of this year‘s issues of ZeTOr NeWS. We are sure that you are all busy preparing for the upcoming christmas holidays. As the end of the year approaches, many of us are beginning to review our achievements of the past year. Let me take this opportunity to briefly re-capitulate 2015 and outline our pros-pects for the upcoming year.

One year ago, I mentioned that 2015 would be a challenging year, that it would place increasing demands on us and that patience and persever-ance would be needed. my words have turned out to be true in every aspect. Globally, sales declined on most mar-kets in 2015. This decline was experi-enced not only by the ZeTOr brand, but by the tractor market as a whole. In the upcoming year we expect the market to stabilize and the downward sales trend to end. We expect our pro-duction to increase and our product portfolio to expand.

In 2015 we invested hundreds of mil-lions of czech crowns into research and development – triple our invest-ment five years ago. This was one of the reasons why we were able to complete the upgrade of our r&d fa-cilities and equipment. The planned expansion of our product portfolio also puts higher requirements on our production processes. This year, we built a new logistics centre that will

be put into operation at the beginning of 2016. The upgrade is one part of an extensive project. After new technolo-gies are fully implemented, sequen-tial production will be introduced, which will allow us to respond more flexibly to the customization require-ments of our customers.

In 2015, we introduced our fourth model series and launched the ZeTOr crYSTAL, a six cylinder tractor which is now the most powerful machine in our portfolio. The ZeTOr crYSTAL won numerous awards at trade fairs at home and abroad and we believe that 2016 will be marked by increased customer demand for this machine.

This year, we devoted a great deal of effort to preparations for the Agritechnica international trade fair, which was a major milestone for our company. And it was a success. The new ZeTOr by Pininfarina design con-cept triggered a positive international response and we established contacts with dozens of potential new dealers and other business partners. Our stand at the fair was sought out and visited by tens of thousands of people.

2015 is already history for the ZeTOr brand and we are looking forward to what lies ahead. However, our aspira-tions have not changed. We strive to strengthen our position on individ-ual markets with a particular focus

on Western europe. Another of our goals is to expand our product port-folio. We are planning to extend our mAJOr model range and to launch a three cylinder 49 hp tractor. We are also working on developing our most powerful machine with power of over 200 hp. In 2016, our tractors will also become compliant with STAGe IV emission standards and we plan to participate in the Techagro trade fair in brno. Throughout 2016, we will also be celebrating our 70th anniversary.

many tasks lie ahead of us. I would like to take this opportunity to ex-press my wish and conviction that if we approach our work with diligence and a sense of responsibility, help each other, listen with understanding to the needs of our colleagues, busi-ness partners, and customers and if we identify with our goals, we will be able to overcome any obstacle.

On behalf of the entire management of our company, I would like to thank you for the work you have done and assure you that we value it tremendously. We wish you a merry christmas and every success in the new year.

We are looking forward to working with you in 2016.

DeAR COLLeAgues,

DeAR DIsTRIBuTORs,DeALeRs AnDBusIness pARTneRs,

Martin blaškovičmanaging director of ZeTOr TrAcTOrS a.s.



ZeTOR BY pInInfARInA: A TRACTOR wITH THe LOOk Of A spORTs CAR

This elegant and modern tractor de-sign was borne out of collaboration with the renowned italian studio Pin-infarina, which added strength, dy-namics and emotion to the classic look of ZETOR tractors. a brand new con-cept emerged that undeniably shows that ZETOR is a brand that has and will continue to have a solid and irreplace-able place on the market.

“The ZETOR by Pininfarina design concept will become the design of all future ZETOR model series. Our collaboration with Pininfarina dem-onstrates to our customers that, in addition to product innovations that reflect our customers’ technical re-quirements, we are also working on the attractive and modern design of

our tractors,” says Margaréta víghová, corporate communications Director at ZETOR TRacTORs, a.s.

The new design by Pininfarina is a combination of timeless elegance, strength and vitality that adds a new dimension to the usefulness and prac-ticality of our tractors. The front of the tractor, which has a gradual tilt to-wards the front, lends the machine el-egant features similar to sports cars. ventilation vents are also a distinctive design feature stressing the impor-tance of cooling. The use of colours is also notable. The darker shades dis-tinguish technical elements from the rest of the machine, which is red.

“Pininfarina and ZETOR share the same values and continual innova-tion is one of them. This approach has enabled Pininfarina to better express our creativity,” says fabio filippini, the chief designer at Pininfarina. “we

are very proud of the first result of our collaboration. This is a tractor with a completely new style that highlights the strength and durability of ZETOR products while also adding emotion and passion,” says filippini.

Turin-based Pininfarina is one of the most well-known italian companies focusing on design and development of bodywork for automobiles and oth-er industries. Pininfarina has worked with car manufacturers including alfa Romeo, ferrari, fiat, gM, lancia, Ma-serati, Peugeot and others.

aT This yEaR’s agRiTEchnica TRaDE shOw in hannOvER, ThE ZETOR by PininfaRina DEsign cOncEPT was ThE biggEsT sTaR aT OuR sTanD.



https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DJMB2Q1qXBPg

we InTRODuCeD A TRACTOR wITH THe sexIesT CuRVes eVeR. THe wORLD AppLAuDeD us

By presenting ZeTOR by pininfarina at Agritechnica you attracted unprecedented attention from fair visitors including farmers, experts, journalists and competitors. why did you decide to work specifically with pininfarina? Margaréta Víghová, Corporate Communications Director:“by introducing a new design concept for our tractors we want to show that we are a modern company that can not only astonish the market through reliable and powerful technology, but which can also make customers feel that their tractor is unique aesthetically. also, when survey-ing our customers and competitors, we discovered that it is often women who decide which tractor their husbands purchase, and so we wanted to reach out

to them. These factors led to a strategy stressing a novel design concept, which was why we decided to collaborate with Pininfarina, which has an excellent repu-tation around the world.”

where was the concept developed and how exactly did your collaboration with pininfarina work?Adam Žert, Sales and Marketing Director:“The tractor was designed in italy, but during the process, Pininfarina design-ers often came to brno and we also fre-quently went to see them. ZETOR and Pininfarina each appointed its own team that was responsible for the project and actively involved in all of its phases. at the start, Pininfarina proposed eight dif-ferent design variations and we chose one of these in the end. Then, we focused

on technological details to develop the initial concept into a real product.”

Do you think that design is as important as functionality in tractors today?Adam Žert, Sales and Marketing Director:“in this regard, the entire agricultural machinery sector has seen a major shift over the last 20 years, and of course we try to respond to these changes just like our competitors do. for farmers, practi-cal and comfortable operation of the ma-chine in which they spend most of their daily working time is no longer the only important thing and they also decide based on design.”

what do you make of the first reactions to ZeTOR by pininfarina? Have they met your expectations? Margaréta Víghová, Corporate Communications Director:“so far, the feedback has been very posi-tive. as soon as we officially launched the concept at agritechnica, journalists, business partners and competitors be-gan expressing their admiration. ZETOR by Pininfarina received coverage from many international media, and not only specialised – we’ve even got the attention of the bbc and the Daily Mail. hundreds of reports and positive reviews appear everyday on social networks as well.”

what is the future of ZeTOR by pininfarina now? Adam Žert, Sales and Marketing Director:“Our intention is to use our new design concept in all new model series in the future.”

sincE ThE agRiTEchnica TRaDE faiR aT hannOvER, which wE sPEnT Many MOnThs PREPaRing fOR, ZETOR by PininfaRina has bEcOME alMOsT a Magic fORMula fOR us. wE fElT PROuD as sOOn as wE bEgan wORking wiTh ThE faMOus PininfaRina DEsignERs, buT wE nEvER DREaMED ThaT ZETOR wOulD bE such a hugE succEss aT This yEaR’s agRiTEchnica TRaDE faiR.

ZETOR by Pininfarina was a phenomenal success at this year‘s agritechnica trade show in hannover and we are all very proud of the new design! (Photo from left: Marián lipovský, Operations Director, Marcel cibík, Quality Director, Jana Ragasová, human Resources and general affairs Director, fabio filippini, chief Designer at Pininfarina, Margaréta vighová, corporate communications Director, lukáš krejčíř, finance Director, David kollhammer, Technical Director, adam Žert, sales and Marketing Director).



The extension of the existing four model series to a total of six and consolidation of ZETOR’s position in key markets. That is the future strategy of ZETOR TRac-TORs, a.s., which we presented to the public at this year’s agritechnica trade fair in hannover. apart from the ZETOR by Pininfarina design concept, visitors to our stand had the opportunity to see the latest six cylinder cRysTal tractor model and a prototype of a three cylin-der engine tractor with performance of 49 hp, which will become the corner-stone of our fifth model series.

“Our goals for the upcoming years are clearly defined – to extend our existing product portfolio, and to consolidate ZETOR’s position in world markets. To meet the requirements of our custom-

ers, we have introduced many product and design innovations. we also keep innovating our existing products. The strategy for future development of our brand provides opportunities for new partners, whom we would like to bring on board,” says adam Žert, sales and Marketing Director at ZETOR TRacTORs, a.s.

in addition to the expansion of our prod-uct portfolio and to the company’s de-velopment plans, we also want to extend our dealer network and acquire new business partners in western Europe, in markets such as germany, france, great britain and benelux. we will continue to put emphasis on research and develop-ment and sales and marketing support.

One of the items that ZETOR TRacTORs a.s. presented at this year’s agritechnica was a prototype of a three cylinder trac-tor that will become the cornerstone for the fifth model series of ZETOR tractors. The tractor features a 49 hp engine, a me-chanical fully synchronous gearbox with 8 forward and 8 reverse speeds and a max-

imum speed of 30 km/h. it will be use-ful mainly on smaller farms and among hobby farmers. The expected launch date for this tractor is the first half of 2017.

another innovation is the extension of the MaJOR model series with two new four cylinder tractors with power of 75.3 hp,

a fuel tank with a capacity of 120 litres and a maximum speed of 40 km/h. cus-tomers will have the option of choosing from two types of transmissions – either with 12 forward and 12 reverse speeds or with 24 forward speeds and 12 reverse speeds. The controls in the cabin will get a brand new look and a passenger seat will be added. new MaJORs will be ap-preciated by farmers on small farms focusing on livestock production. if eve-rything goes smoothly, the first machines will be available to customers at the turn of 2016/2017.

TwO new MODeL seRIes wILL Be ADDeD TO THe ZeTOR pORTfOLIO

new THRee CYLInDeR TRACTORs AnD exTensIOn Of THe MAJOR MODeL seRIes

a prototype of the new three cylinder tractor was presented at this year‘s agritechnica trade fair. new ZETOR MaJOR



we sHOne AT THe AgRITeCHnICA TRADe fAIR. InTeRnATIOnAL MeDIA RepORTeD On ZeTOR BY pInInfARInA

The new ZETOR by Pininfarina design concept became the main attraction for visitors to our stand at the agritechnica 2015 international trade fair in hanno-ver, where we displayed our products in early november. at agritechnica, the largest European agricultural technol-ogy show, we sent a clear message to the world that ZETOR is more than just a brand with a strong tradition and long history. by presenting ZETOR by Pininfarina and other prototypes, we showed that the future is open for us and that we are ready for it.

This was clear from the professional and lay public’s enthusiastic response to the new ZETOR by Pininfarina de-sign concept created in collaboration with the famous italian designer. The new tractor also received unprec-

edented coverage in the international media which described it as the “sexi-est tractor” and the “sportiest tractor in the world”. in addition to numerous agricultural magazines and websites, the bbc and the british Daily Mail on-line server also reported on ZETOR by Pininfarina.

apart from presenting ZETOR by Pininfa-rina at agritechnica, we also showed the three cylinder engine tractor prototype mentioned earlier, which has 49 hp and will become the basis of our fifth model series, and the ZETOR cRysTal, the most powerful tractor in our brand portfolio, which was launched on the market this July. visitors also had the opportunity to see other machines: the MaJOR 80, the PROxiMa POwER 120 and the fORTER-Ra hD 150. whether it was the strongest cRysTal, or the very popular MaJOR, all models met with very positive feedback. During the fair we even sold several ma-chines.

another of ZETOR’s long-term aims is to consolidate its position on western mar-kets by forging partnerships with new business partners - and trade fairs and

exhibitions are a great opportunity to do so. Our presence at agritechnica met this objective – at the fair we met with dozens of potential business partners and dealers interested in working with us.

“ZETOR left a strong impression at agr-itechnica. There was a lot of discussion

and reporting about ZETOR. we believe that we will be able to use this potential to strengthen our position in key western markets as well as in other regions and areas. Thank you all for your hard work. ZETOR’s success is a success for all of us, because together, we form ZETOR,” says Margaréta víghová, corporate communi-cations Director.

nearly 3,000 brands showed their prod-ucts at agritechnica and the total number of visitors over the seven fair days was over 450,000. The ZETOR stand alone was visited by more than 10,000 visitors.

The “sexiest tractor ever”, the “sportiest tractor in the world”, the „ferrari tractor“. ZETOR by Pininfarina astounded journalists and was featured on the front pages of leading international media. The bbc and the Daily Mail both ran stories on it.



https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DYptRkgX0Hx4

https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DoAfjM7p8TpE

we ARe InspIReD BY DeVeLOpMenT AnD MODeRnIZATIOn, AgRee THe DIReCTORs Of ZeTOR TRACTORs A.s.

next year, the ZETOR brand will celebrate its 70th anniversary. it has worked on re-search, development and modernization for seventy years. since the Z 25, its first model, the ZETOR brand has continuously moved forward, all the way to its latest product, the ZETOR cRysTal. it is said that the past can be an inspiration for the future. we are in-spired by development and modernization, say the directors of ZETOR TRacTORs a.s. we strive to provide our customers with the highest quality products, which they can rely on under any circumstances.

What can the ZETOR brand offer to its customers now, after seventy years of development and modernization?Margaréta Víghová, Corporate Communications Director: “first of all, it is power. Our products offer the best combination of engine power and tractor weight, which means we can offer our customers performance which they can maximize during their work. Each of the existing model series offers a power rating that ensures maximum performance in its segment. Our products also offer the ro-bustness customers need and we also em-phasise simple, smart and efficient design. This imbues our products with reliability, easy maintenance and quick service. we also emphasise efficiency. Our products rank among the best in fuel consumption, which was indeed confirmed by a prestig-ious german study by Dlg, in which several competing brands were compared. The ZE-TOR engines passed with flying colours in this strong competition. in the long term, users will also appreciate the affordability and availability of spare parts. That’s why ZETOR is hard to beat in terms of operat-ing costs.”

in which markets is ZETOR TRaCTORS a.s. present today?Adam Žert, Sales and Marketing Director:“if we look at a map, it is just a slight ex-aggeration to say that historically ZETOR has been present almost around the world. however, if we focus on the present, ac-cording to the renowned german institute

vDMa the ZETOR brand ranks third in the total volume of tractors sold in the thirteen new Eu member countries, i.e. in the coun-tries that acceded to the Eu after 2004.

Every market is important for the ZETOR brand and for ZETOR TRacTORs a.s. and we value the support of our customers and business partners in each market. nevertheless, if we were to highlight spe-cific markets and areas where ZETOR is particularly popular, they would include aside from our traditional markets such as the czech Republic, slovakia, Poland, great britain, the usa and scandinavia, also lithuania, hungary, ireland, bulgaria and others. Our primary focus markets are mainly Europe and north america, where we are developing our sales and service network. Our emphasis on Europe is also demonstrated by the presence of ZETOR affiliates in western and central Europe, as well as in the usa. The sales network is important to us, and therefore we are cur-rently actively looking for new sales repre-sentatives, mainly for markets in western Europe, which includes germany, france, uk, benelux, spain, etc.”

What are the company’s current goals?Adam Žert, Sales and Marketing Director:“Our most important goal, which we are

working hard to achieve, is expanding our existing product portfolio. in 2011, we initi-ated and announced expansion of our mod-el series from the original two series to a total of six. since then we have made great progress. in 2012 and 2014 we presented the fORTERRa hsx with a reverse gear-box and the fORTERRa hD, the most so-phisticated tractor in our portfolio. in 2013 we introduced the MaJOR model series, which became successful immediately af-ter its market launch. This year, after many years, we introduced a six cylinder trac-tor with 144 and 163 hp performance, the ZETOR cRysTal, which is the cornerstone of our fourth model series. but we’re not done yet – in fact we’re just starting. we are actively working on new prototypes, some which will expand the MaJOR model series and others which will form the foundation of our fifth model series with performance of up to 50 hp. Our objective, however, is also to introduce a product at the other end of the performance spectrum. we plan on adding to the ZETOR cRysTal model se-ries and also introducing new model series with the highest performance level yet, i.e. over 200 hp. These goals sound very ambi-tious, but over the past few years ZETOR has clearly demonstrated that it takes a very active approach to development and offers customers options from which

*Our Quality Department was established in October 2015 and is headed by Marcel cibík.



they can choose exactly what they need for their work.”

Will the objective of expanding the product portfolio affect production?Marián Lipovský, Operations Director: “Right now we are finishing construction of a modern logistics hall, which is just one part of an extensive modernization project for our production facility. after completion of the construction and introduction of new technology, we will transition to sequential mode, which will enable us to respond more flexibly to customers’ demand for products. in the future, each tractor will be produced and distributed much more quickly, which will dramatically shorten customers’ waiting times.”

The ZETOR CRySTal was introduced this year. What are the key advantages of the ZETOR CRySTal?David Kollhammer, Technical Director:“The new ZETOR cRysTal has a high per-formance six cylinder engine equipped with 24 valves and a common Rail fuel injection system. The cRysTal is easy to drive yet provides high performance and low fuel consumption. The gearbox with 30 for-ward and 30 reverse speeds is the key to the cRysTal’s smooth driveability. Tractor operation is aided by a three-stage torque multiplier (Powershift), hydraulic reverser (Powershuttle) and the clutch button on the gear lever (Powerclutch). The design of the rear PTO makes the cRysTal suitable for light loading with the cutter bar as well as for maximum utilisation of rotary cultivators and feeder vehicles. cRysTal’s modern electro-hydraulic system increases work productivity and reduces fuel consumption by about 5–7%. it features the award-win-ning hiTchTROnic system, which was first launched on the market by ZETOR. The cab of the cRysTal is also innovative. it is spa-cious and significantly reduces noise. com-fort while working, and therefore less driver fatigue, is ensured by air-conditioning, the spring-mounted cab and axles. in addition, the cabin has an openable, adjustable roof hatch. The ZETOR cRysTal is the hardest working tractor on the market and will not let its owners down in any conditions. its most distinct features can be summed up in two words: haRD wORkER.”

Expansion of the MaJOR model series was noted at the agritechnica trade fair. What type of tractors will they be? David Kollhammer, Technical Director:“we are expanding our product portfo-lio with the aim of providing customers more gearbox options in addition to the features of the existing MaJOR 60 and 80. we plan on introducing two new tractors in all, which will feature four cylinder en-gines with performance of 75 hp and meet sTagE iiib emission standards just like the existing MaJOR 60 and 80 models. in con-trast to the existing MaJOR models, these new products have more gearbox options. The first product will have a mechani-cal gearbox with 12 forward speeds and 12 reverse speeds. The second model will be equipped with a gearbox with a range of 24 front speeds and 12 reverse speeds, aid-ed by a two-stage torque multiplier (Pow-ershift) and a hydraulic reverser (Power-shuttle). both models will offer greater design speed and more comfortable cabs. customers can look forward to the official introduction of these new products at the turn of 2016/2017. we expect to launch se-rial production at the same time.”

how many ZETOR tractors have been sold and what are ZETOR’s sales plans looking ahead?Lukáš Krejčíř, Finance Director:“since the company’s establishment more than 1.2 million ZETOR tractors have been sold, which is proof of our stability. in terms of our current status and mid-term develop-ment, we saw the greatest demand for ZE-TOR products in 2012. since then we have experienced a slight decrease. we currently anticipate a slight decrease this year com-pared to 2014.

it is important to note that there were record tractor sales on practically all European markets in 2011 and 2012. in contrast, we noted a decrease and decline in customer demand in 2014 and 2015. This is true not only for the ZETOR brand but globally across the entire tractor segment and all tractor manufacturers, with a drop in tractor sales volumes in most European markets. Judg-ing from the data which we monitor and evaluate, we believe that market demand should begin to stabilize again next year.”

are revenues dropping along with sales?Lukáš Krejčíř, Finance Director:“although sales have seen a slight de-crease, we continue to note higher rev-enues. 2012 was a record year, which was related to market demand for new products. we anticipate revenues of al-most cZk 4 billion this year and higher revenues next year. This is all the result of launching new product and model series on the market. looking at net profit, we expect the 2015 figures to be lower than 2014 but we anticipate the figures to rise once again in 2016.”

how many employees does ZETOR have right now?Jana Ragasová, Human Resources and General Affairs Director:“ZETOR employs more than 700 people, which makes it one of the largest employ-ers in brno and the surrounding region. we have employees from all parts of the czech Republic as well as slovakia and other countries. we also have dozens of employees in our international offices across the European union and north america. since ZETOR’s founding seventy years ago, the company has employed more than 73,000 people in all. currently, our highest priority is development of new products, which is why we have increased the number of employees in the technical department by 83 per cent over the past few years.”

ZETOR TRaCTORS places great emphasis on research and development. What will this mean for customers? Lukáš Krejčíř, Finance Director:“in 2013–2015 alone we invested cZk 371 million into future development in order to achieve the goals that we have set. Ow-ing to these investments, we were able to complete the modernization of our R&D fa-cility at the beginning of this year. we also invested financial resources into launching serial production of new models, including for example this year’s ZETOR cRysTal. all of these steps will gradually be reflect-ed in a broader portfolio for customers, which will give them a wider selection of products that will correspond precisely to their work needs.”



ZeTOR CRYsTAL: suCCess AfTeR OnLY sIx MOnTHs On THe MARkeTin June 2015 we introduced the ZETOR CRySTal, the most powerful tractor in our brand portfolio, which has a six cylinder engine with performance of 144 and 163 hp. Just as quickly as it has become popular with customers, the CRySTal has collected awards both in-ternationally and in the Czech Republic.

The ZETOR cRysTal’s greatest achieve-ment in recent months is its nomination as one of three finalists in the Machine des Jahres 2016 competition in the mid-sized category, where the cRysTal competed against Massey ferguson 4700 and valtra n-serie tractors. The competition results were announced during the agritechnica trade fair in han-nover and the winners were selected by a jury composed of journalists and agri-cultural experts.

“The ZETOR cRysTal is a powerful me-chanical machine whose performance level puts it in the mid-sized category.

The fact that the cRysTal was one of the finalists in this prestigious german competition was a pleasant surprise for us. Our tractor was recognized for its simplicity and robustness, and because it offers an ideal alternative to the com-petition, which makes it popular with professionals and the lay public,” says David kollhammer, Technical Director of ZETOR TRacTORs a.s.

since its launch in other countries, the ZETOR cRysTal has been viewed as a feared opponent by the competition. Just before the agritechnica trade fair, the cRysTal was acknowledged at the agrotech Moldova trade fair in Moldova, where it took first place in the category of best Product on the Market for 2015. it was likewise successful in ireland in september, when it was recognized as the best new Tractor in show in the

150 hp above category at the 2015 na-tional Ploughing championships. in the czech Republic the cRysTal won accolades in late august at the bread basket agricultural trade fair in České budějovice, where it won the golden Ear award.

customers are showing increasing in-terest in the ZETOR cRysTal, with the first tractor launched for sale in July. The cRysTal is also presented to customers during test drives organized by our busi-ness partners.

“we trust that customers – who are so important to us – will accept the cRys-Tal just as after positively the profes-sional public has. we are convinced that this tractor offers customers the most important features they need for their work: power, durability, operational cost savings and simple maintenance,” ex-plains adam Žert, sales and Marketing Director.

Become a ZeTOR fan on social networks and get first-hand information

www.zetor.com

facebook.com/zetor www.linkedin.com/company/zetor-tractors-a-s-twitter.com/zetortractors youtube.com/traktoryzetor

exCeRpTs fROM sOCIAL neTwORks



http://www.zetorcrystal.cz

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http://www.linkedin.com/company/zetor-tractors-a-s-

https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DFGxAkyeJI9I

THe LegenDARY CRYsTAL HAs ReTuRneD. THIs TIMe TO THe ZeTOR gALLeRYOn 26 October the cRysTal legend ex-hibition opened at the ZETOR gallERy. it focuses on this year’s new model, the ZETOR cRysTal, as well as all tractors produced in the unified series ii. The exhi-bition will run through the end of January 2016.

visitors can see a historical cRysTal model and also learn about the new cRys-Tal, the current innovation in the ZETOR product portfolio. Tractor history enthusi-asts will also find plenty to see. we have put together a cross-section of ZETOR’s seventy-year history with an overview of milestones. The exhibition gives visitors a chance to see training materials, period leaflets, advertising materials and spare part catalogues from czechoslovakia and other countries. with help from our fans,

we have also included a unique set of blocks, paper models, hand painted pillows and T-shirts featuring the cRysTal motif. we thank everyone who helped enhance this exhibition at the ZE-TOR gallERy!

Does the current cRysTal, the most powerful ZETOR trac-tor, share any similari-ties with its predeces-sor, which was first manufactured in the late 1960s? The exhi-bition offers an answer to this fundamental question. They have more in common than it may seem at first glance. Owing to its six cylinder engine, the old cRysTal was also the most powerful tractor in ZETOR’s portfolio at that time. The new cRysTal cannot deny its similarity to its predeces-sor’s design: it was heavily inspired by

the old cRysTal’s sharp lines, which are reminiscent of the geometric shapes of crystals. it was this distinctive crystal look that gave the entire model series its name.

The cRysTal legend exhibition has been visited by hundreds of people since it opened. we warmly invite you and your loved ones to the exhibition!

OVeR 7,500 CusTOMeRs VIsITeD THe 5TH AnnuAL ZeTOR TRACTOR sHOw

This annual event, which presents new products from ZETOR TRacTORs to the professional and lay public, began its seven-month journey in ireland in early april. The fORTERRa hD and the cRysTal, new tractors from the MaJOR model series, and popular ZETOR sysTEM front loaders were presented. The ZETOR TRacTOR shOw toured a total of thirteen European countries,

with almost seventy stops and about 7,600 visitors.

like every year, the tractor road show attracted great interest among distributors, dealers and visitors, who appreciated the opportunity to see the tractors right on farms or fields and to try them out in working conditions.

“The purpose of the ZETOR TRacTOR shOw is not only to present the ZETOR brand and our innovations, but also to provide everyone with the opportunity to personally discover the features and

quality of our tractors. we also receive feedback which we evaluate and take into account when developing new products. for us, the customer always comes first,“ says adam Žert, sales and Marketing Director.

aside from products, there was an accompanying travelling exhibition about the company’s history, which included a historical ZETOR 25 k tractor and multimedia shows. at each road show stop, a contest was held in which the main prize was a tablet with ZETOR applications.



http://www.zetorgallery.cz/

70 YeARs wITH ZeTOR TRACTORs

ZETOR TRacTORs a.s. was estab-lished in 1946. The name of the com-pany was created as a combination of the letter “Z” in the logo of brno-based Zbrojovka arms manufacturer and the last two letters of the word trac-tor. This marked the birth of the first ZETOR tractor and of the legendary brand. The first ZETOR model was the Z 25, first manufactured in Zbrojovka brno in spring 1946. it went into serial production the same year. Production of ZETOR tractors was transferred to Závody přesného strojírenství brno-líšeň (brno líšeň Precision Engineer-ing work) in 1952 where the tractors are still manufactured today.

along with the ZETOR 25, more pow-erful models such as the ZETOR 35 suPER and ZETOR 50 suPER were put into production at the líšeň plant. al-though the legendary Z 25’s era came to a definitive end in 1961, ZETOR was the first to introduce the unique con-cept of using unified elements in the manufacturing process with introduc-tion of its unified series i. seven years later, the unified series ii was intro-duced. its combination of innovative features, which showed how ZETOR was ahead of its time, made it popular

worldwide. ZETOR took a leading po-sition among global tractor manufac-turers. in the 1970s ZETOR introduced its first six cylinder tractor, the ZETOR cRysTal 12011. ZETOR subsequently became not only a brand name, but also the name of the company. The year 1991 saw the introduction of the unified series iii, which became known as the ZETOR fORTERRa after its upgrade at the turn of the new millennium.

The beginning of the 21st century was a turning point in ZETOR’s history. The state-owned company was on the brink of bankruptcy and there was a real risk that the brand would cease to ex-ist. a competitive bidding process was held and the winner was hTc holding a.s., a slovak company that became the owner of the company in June 2002. af-ter its entry into the company, the new owner invested into its financial stabi-lization and subsequent restructuring. The production output gradually grew up to 7,000 tractors manufactured in 2007. The global economic crisis in 2008 and 2010 also affected ZETOR, which adopted a plan in 2011 that out-lined a new direction for the company with the objectives of expanding the existing portfolio to six model series, hiring new specialists and building a quality dealer network in markets where the ZETOR brand operates.

The company continues to pursue this strategic direction.

ZETOR TRacTORs a.s. is constantly pushing itself forward, innovating its already successful and reliable trac-tors. in 2014, the fORTERRa hD model was launched as the company’s most sophisticated tractor to date and was recognized with many prestigious awards. The latest addition to the ZE-TOR family is the cRysTal, which was introduced in June 2015 and has since received a lot of positive feedback in the media and won several awards in the czech Republic and internationally. with its six cylinder engine and power of up to 160 hp, the cRysTal is now the strongest ZETOR tractor on the market.

“in the 21st century, the ZETOR brand remains connected to its tradition and is just as popular among customers as in the past. we see the brand’s history not only as a commitment to the future, but also as the inspiration and driving force for further development,” says Margaréta víghová, corporate com-munications Director.

in 2016, ZETOR will celebrate its 70th anniversary. along with a series of memorable events which we are pre-paring for our employees, business partners, the media and the public, this important ZETOR TRacTORs an-niversary will be commemorated by a special logo, which will appear on all our tractors manufactured next year and on printed materials and promo-tional items.



wHAT DO YOu knOw ABOuT ZeTOR? OR: 9 MOsTs ABOuT ZeTOR TRACTORs A.s.

1. MOST historical tractorThe history of ZETOR TRacTORs

a.s. dates back to 1946, which also saw the production of the first ZETOR Z 25, which is the oldest type of tractor and immediately became a favourite with customers.

2. MOST expensive tractorsince the days of the first ZETOR

tractor, development of technology and standards advanced quickly and prices rose accordingly. That’s why it’s no sur-prise that the most expensive tractor in the portfolio is this year’s new model, the ZETOR cRysTal.

3. MOST popular tractorThe most popular ZETOR trac-

tor since the company’s founding was the bestselling ZETOR 25. hundreds of thousands of units were produced. Over the past two years, the ZETOR MaJOR has ranked very high in sales rankings for central Europe. in 2013 and 2014 it was one of the bestselling tractors in the czech Republic, slovakia and Po-land.

4. MOST well-known abroadThe most well-known tractor

abroad is the historical legend, the ZE-TOR cRysTal, the predecessor of this year’s new product. The cRysTal be-came the pioneer of a new generation

of more powerful tractors, winning several prestigious awards at the inter-national siMa agricultural technology exhibition in Paris in the year of its in-troduction. The organizers of the trade fair and the professional public appreci-ated its original crystal-inspired design, created by designer Otakar Diblík, and its technical equipment which was very modern for its time.

5. MOST revolutionary featureThere is one more MOsT associ-

ated with the first cRysTal: introduc-tion of the most revolutionary feature in the history of tractor production. it is the safety cab with an integrated safety feature to protect against roll-overs mounted on silent blocks. The new cab also helped reduce the noise level to below 85 decibels. it was an innovation with global significance. current techni-cal innovations include hiTchTROnic, the rear three-point hitch automatic

regulation system, which also meas-ures and adapts to soil resistance.

6. MOST famous person at ZETOR well known public figures also took

an interest in ZETOR TRacTORs in the past. visitors to the brno plant have in-cluded soviet astronaut Jurij gagarin, former czechoslovak president ludvík svoboda and cuban revolutionary che guevara. we trust that if these gentle-men were alive today they would join our fan club on facebook, which now has more than 66,000 subscribers.

7. MOST devoted fan One of ZETOR’s greatest fans in

the offline world is a swedish farmer, who loves the oldest of ZETOR tractors: the ZETOR Z 25. he likes this historical tractor so much that he has renovated almost 30 of them by himself and uses them for regular farm work. but we also have many other fans, for example those who have adorned their bodies with a tattoo of the ZETOR logo, or who have been named after our famous brand.

8. MOST popular song about ZETORa tractor comes by, it’s a ZETOR,

it’s going to the hills to plough potatoes – a song by the group visací zámek became widely known in the czech Republic. but few people are aware that the swedish band Too far gone has an entire album named for ZETOR and a ZETOR tractor has the starring role in the video clip of the lead song. you can lis-ten to the song here:

9. MOST ZETOR establishmentsPeople can’t survive on music alone.

That was probably the driving principle inspiring ZETOR fans in finland and slovenia, which is why helsinki boasts a restaurant called ZETOR Pub and nove Mesto in slovenia has a bar called ZETOR Okrepčevalnica. both places are well worth visiting.

If you would like to present an interesting story or person in future issues of ZETOR NEWS, or if you have further ideas about the newsletter content, please don’t hesitate to contact the editorial staff at [email protected]. We will take your ideas into consideration and will continue to address them.

www.zetor.com


ZeTOr TrAcTOrS a.s., Trnkova 111, 628 00 brno, czech republic, crN: 26921782, TAX Id: cZ26921782, e-mail: [email protected]

facebook.com/zetor www.linkedin.com/company/zetor-tractors-a-s-youtube.com/ traktoryzetor

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Zetor News december 2015