2007 John Deere Forestry Press Releases

Based in Plana, Czech Republic, Merimex s.r.o. coordinates the sales of John Deere forest machines in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In recent years, Merimex has invested heavily in the development of training, maintenance and spare part services in the forest machine sector in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Merimex's sales and service network covers dealers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Merimex has systematically increased its own spare parts stock, which has helped to critically improve the availability of spare parts and shorten delivery times to forest machine customers. Moreover, Merimex expanded its offices in Plana during 2004 and 2005, for example by constructing a forest machine simulator and classroom for training purposes. Merimex intends to open a new workshop in Plana during 2008.

"Cut-to-length forest machines are developing at an extremely fast pace and the requirements set on operators' skills and competencies have grown significantly, as have the requirements that the forest industry sets on harvesting companies. This is why the company has chosen to invest particularly in training operators in cut-to-length harvesting technology and in further developing the service network both in the Czech Republic and Slovakia," says Timo Kyttälä, Director at John Deere Forestry Oy.

John Deere is the clear market leader in the forest machine sector in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Merimex s.r.o. has been a John Deere dealer for over ten years. Harvesting volumes are expected to increase both in Czech Republic and in Slovakia in the next few years. The harvesting potential is around 15 million m3 per year.