Outstanding entrepreneurial figure

Dipl.-Ing. Hermann Merschroth, Vice President
of the AGCO Corporation, Spokesman for the Fendt Management and President of the Agricultural Machinery Association in VDMA, 58, died suddenly and unexpectedly on 1 March 2009.

His death means the loss of an outstanding personality for his colleagues in management, the supervisory board, the works council and the employees at Fendt. For over three decades, he decisively shaped the development and significance of the brand today. He made a major contribution toward laying the foundation for the successful future of the Fendt brand, as well as the Marktoberdorf and Bäumenheim locations. The last and largest project under his leadership just started recently. The parent company, AGCO, will invest some 172 million euros in expanding the capacities at Fendt over the next four years.

He was characterized by high human qualities, straightforwardness, as well as great professional capabilities. Through his inventiveness and enthusiasm, he was a driving force in the company as well as the agricultural engineering industry.

Curriculum vitae

Hermann Merschroth served more than 30 years at Fendt and since July 2004, he was the spokesman for the management board for the company and the Fendt brand. Since January 2004, he was also a member of the top management at the parent company, AGCO Corporation, headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, USA, and as Brand Director, had the overall responsibility for the Fendt brand. In September 2007, the German Agricultural Machinery Association of the VDMA elected him to a second term as President.  

Born in Pfungstadt-Hahn in Hessen as the son of a farmer, he is recognized as one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the agricultural equipment industry. His systematic development and expansion of the Fendt sales organization and high-paced innovative power secured increased unit sales and market shares throughout Europe for Fendt.

After earning an agricultural engineering degree from Nürtingen University, Hermann Merschroth began his career at Fendt in the Agricultural Engineering Department in September 1976. In 1988 he was appointed Manager for Domestic Sales. Then in 1992, during the severe market decline at the onset of the 90’s, he also took over responsibility for export sales. In January 1998, he was appointed Managing Director for Sales.