Bush Hog and Alo AB form partnership

Published 12:02 am Friday, June 12, 2009

The Alo, Tenn., division of Alo AB will take over Bush Hog’s Telford, Tenn., plant by August.

Bush Hog officials made the announcement Thursday morning through a news release sent via e-mail.

Under the agreement, Alo will supply Bush Hog with loaders and related attachments. Bush Hog manufactures agricultural equipment. Its headquarters is in Selma.

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“This newly formed relationship will provide Alo, AB with U.S. manufacturing capabilities and will enable Bush Hog, LLC to continue its long-time tradition of providing quality and competitive front-end loaders and attachments in the marketplace,” the statement read.

Alo AB is a global provider of front loaders, implements and sub frames for agricultural tractors. The company was founded in 1949 and is based in Umea, Sweden.

The company sells products under independent brands, Quicke and Trima. Alo has five factories in three countries and sales organizations in eight countries. Sales in 2008 consisted of about 34,000 front loaders and 55,000 implements.

Washington County, Tenn., Mayor George Jaynes told The Greeneville Sun, a local newspaper, he plans to call a meeting soon of the industrial bond board to ask the body to transfer the remainder of a 10-year tax abatement the board had with Bush Hog to the new owners.

Jaynes told the newspaper he understands that ALO is accepting applications from existing Bush Hog employees.

The sale came just a day after Duane Prentice, president of Bush Hog, told The Selma Times-Journal that reports by The Associated Press of a possible layoff of 141 workers in Telford were inaccurate.

The AP reported Monday the labor report for the week of June 1-8 in Nashville, Tenn., by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development would see a layoff at the end of the month.

Prentice explained that about a month ago, workers at the Telford plant were told Bush Hog would not remain in the Tennessee facility, but were working on a relationship with a company to take over the site and provide products for Bush Hog.

As for Alabama operations, Prentice said the company has had “a very successful turning around of our business during the last four months.”

Bush Hog is up for sale, and Prentice said several “very interested” parties have indicated they want to buy the company.

Bush Hog is owned by CC Industries of Chicago, a corporation that is owned by Henry Crown & Co, also of Chicago.