Before the war in Ukraine broke out, Russia and Ukraine accounted for around thirty percent of our company's total revenues. "Thanks to the high level of geographical diversification of our export markets and the commitment of our employees, salespeople and distributors in particular, we managed to sell the ordered machines elsewhere. In addition, we reached annual growth of over thirty percent in the last two very complicated years," says Jan Bednář, sales director of the family company BEDNAR FMT.
The biggest Czech manufacturer of agricultural machinery exports over ninety percent of its production under its own brand. The company has been building its own distribution network since its foundation, and its strategy of sophisticated geographical and product diversification is paying off year after year. "We don't rely on markets with short-term profits. We reduce the risks of cyclical fluctuations in demand by basing our distribution network on three strong pillars: EU member states, other European countries and other continents. We have built a department of more than forty qualified area managers of BEDNAR FMT responsible for individual markets, who are familiar with the local conditions and language. It took us almost twenty years, but it has brought the desired results.
For example, France has gradually – since 2013 – become one of the most important markets for us. Thanks to the great team of local BEDNAR collaborators, we have managed to establish cooperation with strong business partners. French customers, who include farms and entities providing services in agriculture, particularly appreciate our disc cultivators, chisel plows and seed drills. They see BEDNAR FMT as an innovative brand that flexibly responds to their needs through development and production. They also know that we offer many configuration options with accessories in addition to our main product range. Our network of competent representatives and high-quality after-sales service, including spare parts supply, help keep our customers happy," the company's sales director explains.
Universal seed drill BEDNAR OMEGA OO 6000 FL
In recent years, the company has made significant investment in developing seed drills, whose sales have grown substantially. These are sophisticated devices with many electronic, hydraulic and control systems that make it possible to achieve high yields. Last year, BEDNAR FMT launched four new products of this series. They include the DIRECTO NO direct seed drill, the MATADOR MO strip-till seed drill, the KATARA KN_S seed drill and rotary harrow combination and the EFECTA CM wide seed drill, which is mainly intended for Australia, Canada and America or for large agricultural enterprises, for example in Romania, Germany, Poland or Hungary.
The biggest Czech manufacturer of agricultural machinery exports over ninety percent of its production under its own brand. The company has been building its own distribution network since its foundation, and its strategy of sophisticated geographical and product diversification is paying off year after year. "We don't rely on markets with short-term profits. We reduce the risks of cyclical fluctuations in demand by basing our distribution network on three strong pillars: EU member states, other European countries and other continents. We have built a department of more than forty qualified area managers of BEDNAR FMT responsible for individual markets, who are familiar with the local conditions and language. It took us almost twenty years, but it has brought the desired results.
For example, France has gradually – since 2013 – become one of the most important markets for us. Thanks to the great team of local BEDNAR collaborators, we have managed to establish cooperation with strong business partners. French customers, who include farms and entities providing services in agriculture, particularly appreciate our disc cultivators, chisel plows and seed drills. They see BEDNAR FMT as an innovative brand that flexibly responds to their needs through development and production. They also know that we offer many configuration options with accessories in addition to our main product range. Our network of competent representatives and high-quality after-sales service, including spare parts supply, help keep our customers happy," the company's sales director explains.
Profound knowledge of customer needs has always been key for BEDNAR FMT. "In communication with our target audience, we listen to employees across all ranks, from senior management to field staff. Those who use the machines on everyday basis tend to have an important voice in deciding which product to purchase. In marketing, we work with online and offline tools, but we always keep in mind that farmers prefer personal relations," David Ryčl points out.
In today's fast-paced environment, the company puts great emphasis on human approach and trustworthiness. Besides sales, there’s a strong focus on after-sales service and cultivating frequent contacts with customers within the BEDNAR FMT "family" community. Compared to its competitors, the company organizes a much wider range of events, including field days, seminars, trainings and informal friendly meetings. Here they listen closely to customer opinion and experience, thus gaining insight which is then used in development and production.
Disc cultivators are one of BEDNAR FMT’s key products
The covid pandemic and its consequences have been a tough test for corporate management. It has highlighted the strengths of family businesses such as BEDNAR FMT, be it the management style or the right process setup. For their advanced management methods, BEDNAR FMT was awarded the Best Managed Company in the Czech Republic in the Czech Best Managed Companies programme – both in 2022 and 2023.
"I find it important that, as an already big company with five hundred employees, we still maintain a family business vibe, with open daily communication between the owner, management and operations staff. The situation in the markets is constantly changing, but we have learned to better predict further developments and adjust our long-term strategy to respond flexibly to the latest changes. Nevertheless, there have been low points as well. For example, in 2020 we put a new production hall into operation. Shortly after, the covid pandemic broke out, which made staff shortages even worse. There was no supply of necessary components, and on top, we had to repay the investment loan. In the end, we handled this tough situation really well and came out stronger, as evidenced by our results," David Ryčl concludes.
Written by Věra Vortelová
Photo credits: BEDNAR FMT
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