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| - The firm originated in 1847 in Newcastle, Ontario by Daniel Massey as the Newcastle Foundry and Machine Manufactures. The company began making some of the world's first mechanical threshers, first by assembling parts from the United States and eventually designing and building their own equipment. The firm was taken over and expanded by his eldest son Hart Almerrin Massey who renamed it the Massey Manufacturing Co. and in 1879 moved the company to Toronto where it soon became one of the city's leading employers. The massive collections of factories on King St. West became one of the best known features of the city. Massey expanded the company and began to sell its products internationally. Through extensive advertising campaigns he made it one of the most well known brands in Canada. It is reputed that the firm owed much of its success to Canadian tariffs that prevented the larger American firms from competing in Canada. A labour shortage throughout the country also helped to make the firm's mechanized equipment very attractive. In 1891, Massey merged with the A. Harris, Son & Co. Ltd. to become Massey-Harris Co. and became the largest agricultural equipment maker in the British Empire. In 1910, the company opened a factory in the United States, making it one of Canada's first multinational firms. In the 1930s, it introduced the first self-propelled combine harvester. Massey-Harris also produced one of the world's first four-wheel drive tractors. Hart Massey's sons, Charles, Chester, Walter, and Fred became closely involved in the business and eventually took over its operations. They were, however, the last generation of Masseys to run the company. Other members of the family went on to do other accomplishments: Vincent Massey became Governor General of Canada and Raymond Massey became a noted actor in American films. The Massey family used their fortune to improve the city of Toronto, and many institutions, such as the University of Toronto, Upper Canada College, Crescent School, Appleby College, Massey Hall and Metropolitan United Church, were partially financed by the Masseys. In 1953, the company merged with the Ferguson Company to become Massey-Harris-Ferguson, before finally taking on its current name in 1958. But the company soon began to decline financially. Facing increasing international competition and an agricultural sector diminishing in importance, the firm began to struggle. In 1955, Massey purchased the Australian company Sunshine. Founded in 1915 by Hugh Victor McKay, they had tie-ups with Massey Harris for several years before MF bought them outright. The Sunshine name faded into history. Also in 1955, Massey-Harris-Ferguson signed a seven-year agreement with the Belgrade, Yugoslavian company IMT for IMT to build licensed-Massey Ferguson tractors and equipment for the Eastern European market, as well as for export elsewhere. The Perkins Engine company was a major supplier of engines to Massey Ferguson, and they bought them out in January 1959, with Frank Perkins continuing to work for the company until 1962. Frank Perkins died in 1967. Variety Corp eventually spun Perkins off into a separate company. In 1959, Massey bought 100% of Landini, based in Italy. Landini has built many models for Massey over the years, especially vineyard and crawler models. Massey sold 66% to ARGO SpA in 1989, some to Iseki later on, and the final portion was sold to AGCO in 2000. ARGO and AGCO still provide models to one another. Also in 1959, Massey Ferguson purchased the Standard Motor Company's tractor manufacturing facilities, which had assembled Ferguson tractors. the Turkish company Uzel was licensed to produce MF tractors in 1962, expanding MF's reach into the Middle East. In 1966, Massey purchased 32% of the Spanish tractor and auto company Ebro, or Motor Iberica. Ebro had previously built Ford Tractors under license, but now began building models for Massey, and Massey models under license. Massey sold its interest to Nissan in 1980. Starting in 1969, Massey Ferguson started producing a line of snowmobiles by the name Ski Whiz. The snowmobile line sold until 1977, when sales declined. Also in 1969, Rheinstahl Hanomag Cura SA, a joint venture partially owned by Hanomag, was purchased in Argentina. The company manufactured Hanomag tractors. After a year or so, the production was switched to Massey Ferguson tractors, and the company renamed Massey Ferguson Argentina. The Ag business of the German Hanomag was also purchased in 1969. In the 1970s, Massey Ferguson came under the control of Conrad Black. During the late 1970s, production was relocated to a new large facility in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. In 1978 Massey Ferguson was the first to introduce an electronic three-point hitch on a tractor.[citation needed] In 1973, Massey purchased the German company Eicher, and many Massey-licensed Eichers were built. They later sold their interest, and Dromson now owns the company. They then built specialized tractors for vineyards and such. In 1974, the Polish company Ursus was licensed to build Massey Ferguson tractors, and the construction plant division of Hanomag was purchased, resulting in Massey Ferguson Hanomag equipment. The Hanomag portion was eventually sold off to Komatsu in 1989. In 1975, MF purchase White Motor Company's plant in Canton, Ohio, USA to build Perkins engines. More licensing took place in 1976 when Iran's ITMCo was added. Compact tractors began to be provided by Japan's Hinomoto/Toyosha in 1976. In 1980, Massey Ferguson Brazil merged with Perkins Brazil to form Massey Ferguson Perkins do Brasil S.A., which was later renamed to Massey Perkins in 1984, and later Maxion S.A. in 1989. The company was sold off in 1983 to Iochpe, and later purchased from Iochpe-Maxion in 1996 by AGCO. In 1981, Black arranged a government bail-out for the collapsing company and sold it in 1986 to a group of investors who reorganized it as Varity Corporation. The 4WD tractor plant in Des Moines, Iowa, USA was closed in 1981 with production moving to Detroit, MI and Toronto & Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Massey Ferguson Argentina was sold in 1982, as well as MF's 30% of Perkins Argentina S.A.. All 4WD production was moved to Brantford, Ontario, Canada the same year, and the Detroit tractor plant was closed in 1983, ending USA production of MF tractors. In 1983, Variety purchased Vickers Plc's Roll-Royce Diesels International and merged it with Perkins. In 1984, rumors surfaced of the possibility of a merger with Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company. By 1985, MF purchased White Farm Equipment's combine business and technology, and then moved all combine manufacturing to Canada. In 1986, Varity spun off several money-losing divisions into an entity called Massey Combines, including the Brantford, Ontario, Canada combine plant. Massey Combines became insolvent in 1988, and its assets were re-acquired by Massey Ferguson. McConnell Tractors purchased the 4WD tractor business in 1989, which was eventually purchased by AGCO in 1994. In 1989, MF agreed to buy Fruehauf Corp, (Kelsey-Hayes). MF began switching from Hinomoto to Iseki for their compact tractor supply, and later supplied Iseki in return with higher horsepower tractors in 1993. In 1992, a management buyout of MF industrial created the company Fermec which finally ceased trading in 2001 when it was swallowed up by Terex. This encompassed all remaining construction equipment from Massey. Despite some of the companies' hardships, Massey Ferguson was selling 25% more tractors than its nearest competitors at this time. In 1994, the farm equipment divisions of Varity were sold to the American AGCO Corporation who continue to use Massey-Ferguson as a product line. In August 1996, Varity merged with Lucas Automotive to become LucasVarity. After a series of mergers and take-overs, the remains of LucasVarity were taken over by the US company TRW. Since 1962, Massey Ferguson has been the world's leading tractor brand, this may be due to the fact that Massey began to sell globally earlier than the rest of its competitors. Currently, there are more Massey tractors than any other, worldwide. AGCO purchased MF in 1994, and slowly began reassembling much of what had been sold off, including McConnell Tractors, Massey Ferguson Argentina, Iochpe-Maxion,Western Combine Corporation, supplier Dronningborg and other operations.
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