HORSCH by conviction - a family business with a vision

From a blacksmith's shop to a dealer of state-of-the-art agricultural technology - Wölfleder Bernhard GmbH can look back on a 300-year tradition. By conviction, the family business has been selling the HORSCH brand since 2021. A courageous step that started with a simple phone call.

The Wölfleder family business in Zell an der Pram (Upper Austria) has a long history that dates back to 1702. It originally started as a blacksmith’s and horse shoeing shop and then gradually developed into a major dealer for agricultural machinery in the region. The company first sold Steyr tractors. In the workshop which was expanded in the 1960s, they repaired both agricultural machinery and cars.

Over time, however, it became apparent that this combination at one location was not ideal. In 1988, the family therefore decided to split the company. A car dealership with workshop was built in a nearby village while the agricultural machinery company remained at the original site.

Passion for agricultural engineering

Bernhard Wölfleder, the youngest of four siblings, deliberately decided in favour of agricultural machinery while his brother took over the car dealership: “He was interested in fast cars, I was more interested in agricultural machinery,” he explains. In 2007, he took over the agricultural machinery business together with his wife Michaela and is now the third generation to run it. Right from the start, it was important to him to set his own priorities and develop the company further. This initially included controlling, but he also wanted to take a different path with regard to the machines: “I wanted to do something new, machines that others don't sell. So, after a long history of Steyr tractors, we introduced the Claas brand. Despite many doubts from those around me, I went through with the brand change because I knew it was the right thing to do.” The brand fascinated him from an early age, especially the combine.

The decision to include Claas in the portfolio proved to be spot on. The official sales partnership with Claas followed in 2011 laying the foundation for the successful establishment of the brand in the region. This year thus marked the start of the success story. Due to the positive response from the customers and the continuous development of the product range, the company grew steadily. In 2016, the company premises were expanded by two halls to a total area of one hectare. In 2019, the warehouse was expanded within the scope of a conversion project to provide customers with the optimum supply of spare and wear parts. For customer satisfaction ranks first.

Start of the co-operation with HORSCH

In 2020, a new opportunity arose, and the start signal for the co-operation with HORSCH was given: “It all began with a call from HORSCH asking whether I would be interested in selling their products,” Bernhard Wölfleder remembers. “I have always liked HORSCH machines, but such a big decision had to be well-considered and could not be taken lightly because it also meant a big investment for us,” the Managing Director explains.

The more he familiarised himself with the brand, the more enthusiastic he became about the company and its philosophy. “At some point, I watched a video of Michael Horsch, then watched it again and again and was impressed. He simply sees things differently and that fascinates me. He wonders how we can treat nature with respect and then develops the corresponding machines. A particularly likeable aspect is that the whole Horsch family always seeks direct contact with the customers. This is not the case with any other company. I really appreciate the short distances and direct communication and hope that it will stay that way for a long time to come. We Austrians have always enjoyed being with the Bavarians,’ he adds with a smile.
“When I met Michael Horsch, I was impressed by his story. What he has already experienced - from his beginnings to today. He has always believed in his vision. And that's exactly how we are. When I sell something, I have to experience it and know how it works. It has to be authentic, and I have to identify with it. Only then can I pass this conviction on to the customer.”

Bernhard Wölfleder did not want to make the decision to include HORSCH in his portfolio without the feedback of his customers: “I invited ten of my best customers to an evening event where Philipp Horsch was also present and talked about the brand, the company and the products. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and the customers became real fans. After that it was clear: HORSCH is a perfect match. I was very impressed by the way the company approached us and how everything proceeded right up to the final decision.” And so the HORSCH brand was officially added to the portfolio in 2021 - another big step for the company.

Machines that impress

The first HORSCH machine Bernhard Wölfleder sold was a Terrano 3 FX. “Terrano and Joker are our best sellers. Once a customer has driven this machine, you don't need to argue much more,” the Managing Director says. However, the product portfolio is diverse and the demand for machines such as the Cruiser or seed drills like Versa and Pronto is constantly increasing. “We have also started selling Maestros and sprayers. On average, the farm size in the region amounts to 30 ha. Therefore, investments in crop care sprayers are often made by machinery cooperatives.”

To provide customers with the best possible advice and to be always up to date, major importance is attached to the continuous training of the entire workforce. “We organise training courses on an ongoing basis so that we can delve deeper and deeper into the matter as the machines are becoming increasingly complex. This is the only way we can provide our customers with the best possible support. Last year, for example, two of our employees were on site at the sprayer training courses in Schwandorf.”
Good service is also important to Bernhard Wölfleder. With five fully equipped workshop vehicles, the employees travel directly to the customers to carry out service works or repairs. The latter is particularly essential during the season and emphasises the company's customer focus.

Potential in the region

“We have a high density of dealers in the vicinity. That's why you need a different brand portfolio. I consider this to be a huge opportunity.” The agricultural potential in terms of hectares is certainly available in the region. It often happens that customers actively ask for the HORSCH brand. “Now there is finally someone who sells HORSCH! We often hear that,” Bernhard Wölfleder says. 

Increasing the visibility of the HORSCH brand in the region is a central objective for the coming years. “Of course, it takes time for everyone to realise that we offer HORSCH, but quite a lot has already happened in the last three years, and we continue to see great potential,’ he states optimistically.
A special highlight for the whole company was the HORSCH Field Day in August 2024 where twelve machines were presented on a large field nearby. The demonstration attracted numerous farmers and interested people from the region and gave them the opportunity to see the machines live and in action as well as to get information and exchange ideas and experiences. Kurt Glück from the HORSCH Marketing team presented the machines and explained the advantages of the respective technology to the farmers.