Kuhn North America, Inc., Brodhead, WI, has acquired the Kverneland Group crop packaging division, thereby adding to its forage equipment product line.

The acquisition includes the Kverneland factory located in Geldrop, Netherlands, which specializes in designing and manufacturing big square, fixed- and variable-chamber round balers; bale wrappers; rotary drum mowers; tedder-rake combinations and corn choppers.

During a two-year transition period, the Kverneland products will be sold under the Kuhn brand name and through the Kverneland network, according to Kuhn, which also manufactures spreaders, mixers and hay and tillage tools.

The company has also expanded its Brodhead manufacturing plant and will open a 286,000 sq ft, large-machine assembly facility in Monswiller, France. Kuhn plans to reach a production rate of 7,000 machines per year by 2010 at the Monswiller site. That plant will also operate a new high-quality painting process with surface treatment.