Gente real de Kubota

I joined Kubota as a Business Administration Apprentice in September 2016. I was very excited to be given this opportunity of learning with a large Company and being able to earn a salary at the same time in my first job.

Through my learning and development and the support and guidance from my colleagues and the company I was able to enhance my knowledge which has given me the experience to solve problems, help our customers independently and provide them with the best service I can. Some of the opportunities I have had during my short time with Kubota have included visiting one of our key shows (Saltex), operating some of our machinery, seeing products going through testing in our R&D function and spending time in each of the other departments to understand what they do and the interactions I have with them.

Through all of this I have continued my studies, which has proved difficult at times, and have recently passed my Apprenticeship and NVQ. I am now a fully operational Sales Administrator working within the Tractor and Ground care Division alongside all my colleagues.

Recently the Company have also commenced a major refurbishment programme across all areas which has now given everyone an added ‘boost’ as our working conditions are excellent.

It is a pleasure to work at KUK and with my colleagues.

I got hired by Kverneland Group in November 2012, after 5 years in the Electronics Industry as a Salesman and Assistant Shop Manager. I started as an Industrial Engineer in the main assembly at Kverneland Group Klepp. This was definitely a fundamental change for me, as it is really challenging to move from selling products to assembling plough. Gradually I gained even more responsibilities, such as taking over other areas of the main assembly, e.g. from printery to planning and carefully organizing the main assembly. The openness of my coworkers, the pleasant atmosphere and the training I received, helped me develop professionally. During the last year, I’ve been working as a Process Coordinator in the Main Assembly. Personally, this has been by far the most challenging and educational period since I got the opportunity to work with Kubota employees from Japan and learn from them. I changed from standard assembly to line assembly and I’ve been having an inspiring team leader who has provided me with good advice and shared important knowledge from his working life.

Happily, I received a permanent contract as an Operations Coordinator as my substitute year was over, and I am really looking forward to new challenges and good working days at Kverneland Klepp.

I would like to give a big thank you to Kverneland Group Klepp for providing me with the unique opportunity to progressively develop in their team.

Sindre Nicholas Ruud, Salesman and Assistant Shop Manager, Kverneland Group Klepp, Norway

I started working at Kverneland Group Klepp in 2011. The company made sure that I received the required training and knowledge not only as an industrial engineer in 2013 but also in project management and as a Quality Leader. Two years later I graduated as an industrial engineer and I was offered a job in the quality department where I took a certificate in dimension control. In 2018 I was offered a position as a Team Leader, in which I work systematically to achieve the goals of Kverneland Group Klepp.

My company is good at providing opportunities for competence raising. I am very grateful that I am working in Kverneland Group Klepp.

Atle Årsland, Industrial Engineer, Kverneland Group Klepp, Norway

Hello, I’m Katia and I started my experience here 3 years ago. My main task is to coordinate inbound and outbound.

The inbound department deals with transport organization transport for the incoming goods necessary to supply the assembly lines. After counting and sorting the materials the inner logistical flow starts towards the painting department and the warehouses. The outbound department organizes the exit process of all the final products; this means organizing transports (by sea and land), preparing and loading up the machines.

The most interesting thing in working here is the dynamism. Every day we face many challenges in optimizing logistical flows and in trying to lower the environmental impact and costs, but at the same time we want to maintain a high level. Working in Kverneland allowed me to face a really dynamic and complex reality where, at the same time, you can grow up developing your job profile and the potentiality of a great team job in resolving problems.

The company structure needs a continuous communication among all departments and this necessarily implies a confrontation among different professional roles. The seasonal production requires logistical flow elasticity and organization stimulating a continuous search for improvement. When you come to Kverneland, even as a trainee, you feel immediately that you belong to a working group and the assigned tasks usually are part of a company project keeping into consideration the preferences of the candidate. Each project is supervised by a manager who guides and supports new workers, which lead to continuous learning opportunities.

Everytime I discuss with people about my job, they are surprised by the passion I show toward it, a very stimulating work totally lacking in boredom.

Katia la Porta, Inbound Outbound Coordinator, Kverneland Group Ravenna, Italy

I started working in this factory 35 years ago just after graduating in Mechanical Engineering at Bologna University-Italy and now I’m still here after some changes of ownerships and management over time, All of them however always conjoint by the same constructive, united and dynamic mind, passion and targets.

I was born in a small village in the countryside close to this area where my grandparents owned a small farm, and I’ll be always grateful for their simple, fair and wise principles, which led to a fundamental appreciation of the agricultural world and to realize that the farmers’ daily hard and heavy duty job deserves the maximum respect.

I could summarize my activity and experience in Kverneland Group through four main topics:

1. Respect, careful listening and serious care towards the customers;
2. Trusting colleagues, mutual support and friendly human relationships;
3. Humble adaption and determined will for a continuous learning and a growth;
4. Motivating challenges and innovative products in line with actual changes.

1- I’m firmly convinced that we always need to try to do our best with all the necessary efforts to cover the customers’ needs, requests and expectations as much as possible, hoping that our strong engagement makes them feel we commit ourselves in supporting and taking care of them, in order to obtain step by step their sincere esteem and appreciation.Customers are indeed the most essential heritage and the “real owners” of every factory and this thought fully matches one of the most important milestones of Kverneland Group’s mission.

2- My staying in the same factory for such a long time is not only due to the interesting type of job involving varied features, tasks and challenges to be dealt in direct contact with dealers and customers (whose thanks are the main motivation to go on), it’s mostly due to the eager chance to be supported by competent, friendly and skillful colleagues from various countries, working with whom is a deep pleasure and privilege. The importance of human resources and relationships reflects another basic and focus point of Kverneland World, who trusts and believes in each employee, enhancing and bringing out his/her best skills, optimizing capacities, in order to feel good allowing positive and fruitful benefits also in private life. This matter is also a convinced suggestion for encouraging and motivating a person to start working in this company and I’m really proud and honored to be part of this Group which represents a kind of cozy, pleasant and well assorted family.

3- Furthermore, meeting and contacting people having different cultures, experiences and knowledges gives the exciting opportunity to share helpful synergies with diversified and worthwhile capabilities, expertness and competences for a profitable exchange and comparison of opinions with the possibility of a continuous learning and a relevant constant personal development and growth from a professional and human perspective.

4- About the range of Balers, Wrappers, Choppers and Rotary Tillers, which cover the equipment currently designed and manufactured in Kverneland Group Ravenna, the innovative products and devices implemented during the latest years and the new ones in the coming times, try to keep up with both the changes in agricultural activities, conditions, crops and the increasingly pressing and demanding desires and expectations from dealers, farmers and contractors. At the same time our commitment also concerns the maintaining of some characteristics and specifications we deem remarkable to distinguish every product and to make it well accepted and noteworthy, like the ergonomics and safety of the end users, the performances and the achievement of the required reliability, the friendly use and maintenance due to a simplified and industrialized construction with a particular focus on the productivity, the saving of resources, time, costs and fuel with the respect for the environment.

Wishing all the best for sharing a stable present and a prosperous future.

Massimo Baldini, Project Leader Variable Balers R&D Department, Kverneland Group Ravenna, Italy

After graduating from my MSc degree in Industrial Engineering & Management in 2016, I started working for the department Research & Development at Kverneland Group Nieuw-Vennep. Here I work as an engineer for the team Aftercare & Production Engineering. Our team’s main responsibility is to help improve the design of our current range of products and to design production tools for use in our local manufacturing plant.

During the design, the Kaizen philosophy (based on Kubota’s 5-Gen principle) is applied to improve the efficiency of the production processes. This can be quite challenging because many factors, such as quality, production time, safety and simplicity have to be taken into account.

Dealing with this complexity, building our own prototypes and producing tools the mechanics are happy with, are the most interesting and satisfying parts of my job here at Kverneland.

Kverneland offers a very dynamic and informal working environment. If you like to take initiative and can handle a lot of responsibility on your projects, this could be a good company for you. I think this is a place where a creative individual has the freedom to thrive.

Jeffrey Goedhuys, Engineer Aftercare and Production Engineering, Kverneland Group Nieuw Vennep, the Netherlands

The most interesting thing about my job as Assembly Line Manager is that every day is different. Every day brings up new challenges, to produce machines with the best quality and in the most efficient way, to satisfy our customers. The possibility to improve yourself in many different ways, the kindness of all colleagues in every position, from shop floor worker to manager, the wide range of the art of work, and that everyday is different with a new challenge, are only some of the benefits you have when working in this company.The vision of being a leading provider for agricultural machines is great. In our group we have the knowledge and the will to achieve this.

I started in KvG in 2008, working on the shop floor assembling seeding machines. After one year, I had the opportunity to improve myself with a technician qualification. In 2010 I had to stop working in order to join the German army for 6 month. But without a doubt, afterwards I wanted to come back to KvG. So, after 5 years I got the technician qualification and I achieved this while I was working simultaneously with the training. After this, I started working more and more on Kaizen issues, so the next step for me was the 5GEN dojo in Osaka. Implementing this in the factory of Kverneland Group Soest gave me also the opportunity to travel around in the different European production sites, providing trainings in 5GEN. After 5 years, I then had the opportunity to become Manager of assembly lines in the Soest factory. And that's where I am now working for KvG / Kubota.

As you may have noticed, one word that is often used in my text is “opportunity”. That is one of the best things working here. If you are doing a good job, you'll get opportunities.

Marcel Seifert, Manager Assembly Lines, Kverneland Group Soest, Germany

Despite being in Kubota for a short period of time, I learned a lot about the company’s culture, standardization and quality. This company often provides great opportunities for employees to obtain different work experiences and discover new skills.

Employees have high visibility as of their first day, in the sense that their creative ideas and hard work will be seen by the people at the top.Top management recognizes and appreciates our dedicated effort. That's the honor of working in a global giant. Kubota really is perfect and it's a pleasure to be working with these people.

Veysi Sesli, Production/Logistic/Procurement Manager, Kubota Turkey

I have been working in my company for more than 6 years. During this period of time, I worked as a Manager in many different positions that I believe are important, i.e. Service, Purchasing, Spare Parts, Production, etc.

In the ongoing time, I believe that mutually Kubota Brand and I have a positive interaction.In particular, I have observed that Japanese culture is clearly reflected in business life, and absolute success will come as a result of disciplined and transparent work.

The most crucial point for me, as a success-oriented person, is that my company has enabled me to achieve success.This makes us happier and more energetic. As the Kubota brand strives for success in a more motivated way for the bright future of the brand, the targets are formed by themselves.

Let's get together to taste success!

Bora Yuce, Executive Senior Manager Sales and Marketing, Kubota Turkey

After completing my studies, I had the opportunity to start my professional career with Kubota in June 1987, almost at the beginning of Kubota’s arrival in Spain. In 1994, with the closing of the Factory, there was created a new commercial company of Kubota in Spain, committed to the goal of meeting the needs of customers, an objective that I fully share. In this new company I continue my career and professional development.

Throughout all these years I have had the opportunity to play different roles and functions, from administrative production to production manager (position that I am currently developing). Since the beginning of my professional relationship with Kubota, the company has given me personal and professional development, increasing my teamwork capabilities, listening to others opinions, debating and respectfully expressing my ideas. All this helps me to move towards one of my goals; achieve maximum efficiency, with continuous improvements that allow us to improve the satisfaction provided with our products. Customer satisfaction and their needs are our main objective.

Offering customers Kubota products of excellent quality and reliability will contribute to achieving the goal of making Kubota the leading brand in Europe.

Jesús Herbosa Herbosa, Production manager, Kubota Spain

J’ai rejoint Kubota en juillet 1980, l’entreprise s’appelait alors Kubota Tractor Europe.(Le chiffre d’affaires était réalisé pour l’essentiel par les motoculteurs)

Nous étions une trentaine de personnes en 1980 et j’étais le plus jeune staff de l’entreprise. 38 années ont passé et je suis désormais le plus ancien employé de Kubota Europe…

Quand je regarde en arrière, j’estime que j’ai eu de la chance de rejoindre Kubota car en travaillant et en apprenant j’ai pu progresser et occuper différentes fonctions, responsable régional des ventes, responsable marketing, responsable des ventes « export », Directeur des Ventes, puis responsable de l’ensemble la Division, toujours dans le domaine Tracteur. Dans ma carrière au sein de Kubota, j’ai été marqué par certains aspects de la culture japonaise, comme l’engagement et l’implication au travail ou le stoïcisme dans les moments difficiles et ce sont des valeurs que je partage.

Aujourd’hui, l’ambition « agricole » de Kubota dans une Europe consolidée nous offre de de nouveaux challenges, tout en nous demandant de changer nos habitudes pour nous rassembler autour de celle-ci.

C’est une belle opportunité pour toutes les générations qui œuvrent au succès de la marque en Europe et je convaincu que cette ambition se réalisera.Let’s make Kubota greater in Europe!

Hervé Gérard-Biard, Directeur de la Division Tracteur, Kubota Europe, France

After graduating in Mechanical Engineering, I have built my industrial experience by successfully holding positions in Methods, Product Development, Quality, Production and Project Management departments, mainly in the automotive industry.

Afterward, I have held Plant Manager positions for over ten years, particularly for a welded cabin frames manufacturer for the agricultural and construction machinery business.

I joined KFM at the beginning of 2016 when mass production started. I must admit that starting up a new factory, with new people, a new tractor model, and contributing to bringing it up to speed has been quite an exciting challenge.

During that difficult phase, I very much appreciated the support we received both from the headquarters and from the Japanese colleagues locally.

Unlike many other companies I have experienced before, I found a culture here where people are respected and much attention is given on their well-being at work, the approach is based on the long term, on a step by step basis but always moving forward, facing challenges together.

The team we have now in place in KFM is a strong team that has proven to be able to overcome so many difficulties by working well together. I am quite proud to work with them and enjoy working in a Group with which I fully share the core values, mission and vision.

Andrea Ceriani, Industrial Operations Manager, Kubota Farm Machinery Europe, France

Through my six-month internship, I was able to expand my knowledge and skills. In addition to detailed product knowledge, I also gained deeper insights into the work of the service and product management departments. Regular customer contact and demanding tasks with a high level of personal responsibility contributed greatly to making the internship a valuable preparation for a future career.

Although I was the first Trainee at Kubota Germany, all the people involved acted with openness, flexibility, high professionalism and constant willingness to optimize. The internship was an important experience and a great success for me!

Christian Büttner, Service Department Employee, Kubota Deutschland, Germany

I Joined Kubota Company 2 years ago as my first job after my studies. I work in the marketing team and I am in charge of a wide range of products which made the Kubota brand in Europe.

It is very rewarding to have this kind of responsibility and it makes me grow every day. I really appreciate the diversity of interaction I can have with my colleagues from different departments: i.e. sales, service, purchasing, spare parts, and from different countries in Europe or in Japan. I learn every day from my colleagues and the fact that every person is easily accessible reflects the Kubota way of mind. Nobody will close you any door in Kubota. Stay open minded and creative and it will bring you recognition and fulfillment.

Amaury Suarez Infiesta, Compact & Groundcare Product Manager, Kubota Europe, France

When I was 23 years old and recently graduated lawyer, I started in the Spare Parts sector working in a construction company.

Since this journey started, I immediately felt attracted to the Spare Parts Sales business and then discovered that it was my true vocation. After 10 years of experience, practice and achievements, I was assigned to the position of Management of the Spare Parts Department, warehouse and logistics.

In 2016, I had the opportunity to be part of a selection process for the position of Spare Parts Director at Kubota Spain. The company dimension, its excellent reputation and leading position on the construction and agriculture sectors, represented to me at that moment a great career opportunity and personal development challenge. This process ended, for my happiness, with the establishment of a contractual relationship that allowed me to enter Kubota family. From that day on, I had the opportunity to apply at Kubota Spain, all my previous knowledge and enthusiasm for the business that characterizes me.

Being aftermarket a “key” driver for ours and channel partners profitability, mine and my team goals are, to contribute with a great communication and teamwork  with the marketing, sales, service and financial departments, to support Kubota business growth ambitious as well as to elevate the Kubota brand to the desired "GMB" goal.

Since the first day, I felt Kubota as a family-owned company because of the closeness, support and caring that I received from the management and colleagues. This offers me daily doses of motivation and it makes me proud and fortunate to be doing what I love every day.

Patricia González, Director of Spare Parts, Kubota Spain

Begonnen habe ich im Jahr 2012 als Grafik Designer für die Kverneland Group Deutschland und unser Werk in Klepp.

Durch die Arbeit für das Marketingteam in Norwegen konnte ich von Beginn an auch internationale Luft schnuppern. Schnell arbeitete ich nicht „nur noch“ als Grafik Designer sondern konnte mich auch strategisch einbringen. Meine Aufgaben entwickeln sich bis heute ständig weiter: Corporate Design für die Gruppe, die zunehmende Zusammenarbeit mit Kubota, komplexe Kampagnenentwicklung gemeinsam mit dem Produktmanagement und das Führen eines großartigen Teams.

Neben dem familiären und fairen Umgang schätze ich genau diese Vielfalt in der Kubota Familie.

Anna Maria Müller, Marketing Manager, Kverneland Group Deutschland, Germany