<br>Massey Ferguson Limited is an American agricultural machinery manufacturer. The company was established in 1953 through the merger of farm equipment makers Massey-Harris of Canada and the Ferguson Company of the United Kingdom. It was based in Brantford, Ontario, until 1988. The company transferred its headquarters in 1997 to Buffalo, New York, U.S. before it was acquired by AGCO, the new owner of its former competitor Allis-Chalmers. Massey Ferguson is among several brands in a portfolio produced and marketed by American industrial agricultural equipment conglomerate AGCO and a major seller in international markets around the world.</br>
<br>In 1847, Daniel Massey established the Newcastle Foundry and Machine Manufactory in what is now Newcastle, Clarington, Ontario, Canada.[1] The company made some of the world's first mechanical threshers, at first by assembling parts from the United States, but eventually designing and building its own equipment. Daniel Massey's son, Hart Massey, subsequently renamed the enterprise as the Massey Manufacturing Co. In 1879, the company moved to Toronto,[2] where it soon became one of the city's leading employers. The huge complex of factories, consisting of a 4.4-hectare (11-acre) site with plant and head office at 915 King Street West (now part of Liberty Village), became one of the best-known features of the city. The company expanded further and began to sell its products internationally.[2] Through extensive advertising campaigns, it became one of the most well-known brands in Canada. A labor shortage throughout the country also helped to make the firm's mechanized equipment very attractive.</br>
<br>In 1891, the Massey Manufacturing Co. merged with A. Harris, Son and Company to form Massey-Harris Limited,[1][3] which became the largest agricultural equipment maker in the British Empire. Massey-Harris made threshing machines and reapers, as well as safety bicycles, introducing a shaft-driven model in 1898.[4] In 1910, Massey-Harris acquired the Johnston Harvester Company of Batavia, New York, making it one of Canada's first multinational firms.[1]</br>
<br>The company's early tractor models included the 20 horsepower Massey-Harris GP 15/22 (1930–36),[5] 25 horsepower 'Massey-Harris Pacemaker' (1936–1939),[6] 35 horsepower Model 101 (1938–1942),[7] Massey-Harris Pony, Model 20, Model 81, and Model 744.</br>
<br>Grain harvesting was revolutionized by Massey engineer Tom Carroll in 1938, with the world's first affordable, mass produced, self-propelled combine— the No. 20. It was too heavy and expensive for extensive mass production, but served as a guide for the design of the lighter and less costly No. 21 which was tested in 1940, and put on sale in 1941. The Massey-Harris No. 21 Combine was commemorated with a Canada Post stamp on June 8, 1996.[8] E.P. Taylor, one of C.D. Howe's dollar-a-year men, joined the board of directors in 1942, and Eric Phillips joined management in 1946.</br>
<br>The final generation of Massey-Harris tractors, introduced immediately after World War II, included the 25-horsepower M-H 22 series,[9] the 35 horsepower M-H 33 series,[10] the 45 horsepower M-H 44 series[11] and the 55 horsepower M-H 55 series.[12] In 1952, the M-H 22 was replaced by the M-H 23 Mustang. In 1955, the 30-horsepower Massey-Harris 50 was introduced after the merger that created Massey-Harris-Ferguson. It was based on the Ferguson TO-35 and was also produced as the F-40 for Ferguson dealers. The MH-50 was available in several configurations: utility, high-crop utility, or row-crop with a choice of single, tricycle, or wide adjustable front ends. In 1956, the M-H 33 was replaced by the MH 333, while the M-H 44 was replaced by the M-H 444 and the M-H 55 was replaced by the M-H 555. These tractors were commonly known as the "triple series" and were mechanically similar to their predecessors, but featured new styling that included a slightly different hood design, chrome trim on the grill and hood, and a different color scheme. They were also available with power steering, live power take-off (PTO) and hydraulics. The Massey Harris triple series tractors remained in production until 1958.</br>
<br> In 1953, Massey-Harris merged with the Ferguson Company to become Massey-Harris-Ferguson, before finally taking on its current name in 1958.[1] </br>
<br>The name was shortened to Massey Ferguson in 1958. They tried to consolidate the two dealer networks and product lines. Its television and radio advertising featured an upbeat jingle with a male chorus singing, "He's a get-up-early, keep-'em-rollin, Massey-Ferguson kind of a man." Nevertheless, the company soon began to decline financially after facing increasing international competition in the 1960s, when the firm began to struggle.</br>
<br>Despite its hardships, Massey Ferguson was selling 25% more tractors than its nearest competitors at this time. In 1995, Massey Ferguson's worldwide holdings were purchased by the United States-based AGCO Corporation. In August 1996, Varity merged with Lucas Automotive to become LucasVarity. After a series of mergers and takeovers, the remains of LucasVarity were acquired by the United States company TRW. Since 1962, Massey Ferguson has been the world's leading tractor brand.</br>