Japanese tractory giant Kubota has continued on the acquisition trail with the purchase of Kansas-based tillage implement manufacturer, Great Plains.

This deal will see Kubota taking control of all five Great Plains divisions, including the operations based in Salina, Kansas and the former Simba factory in Sleaford, Lincolnshire.

The Great Plains Company also includes the Land Pride business, which specialises in grounds maintenance equipment and will now also be run by the Kubota Corporation.

This move will see Kubota extend its tillage equipment line up to complement the existing range from the Kverneland group, who they purchased in 2012.

Dai Watanabe, president and CEO of Kverneland Group, said: “We see this as a great opportunity to further strengthen the product lineup and customer values through proactive co-operation between the sister companies.”

Kubota has taken a number of strategic moves in order to strengthen its agricultural business recently, including the purchase of the Kverneland Group in 2012, and also investing in a new factory in Dunkerque, France.

This production facility opened in September 2015 and builds Kubota’s first tractor range, designed specifically for European farmers. The M7 range runs from 130hp to 170hp and is offered with both semi-powershift and continuously variable transmissions.