If you talk to any person in the machinery industry in Europe, the Irish are known for their slurry tankers, trailers and combination balers.
Meanwhile, the Italians are known for making kit with gearboxes, whether that be power harrows, hedge cutters or flail mulchers, the Italians know what they’re at.
To back this up, all you have to do is visit the EIMA show in Bologna, Italy, it’s jam-packed with hall after hall of home-grown manufacturers, with gearboxes, shafts and hydraulics being their speciality, a bit like they’re known for pizza and pasta to common folk.
One such Italian manufacturer who has put a massive push on worldwide growth over the past decade is Alpego. Alpego is based in northern Italy, between Milan and Venice.
Alpego claims to have been one of the first companies to design and manufacture a power harrow, and also the first company to offer an eight-metre version.
Company history
The firm’s pedigree dates back to the immediate post-war period in 1946 when it started manufacturing agricultural equipment.
It takes one hour to assemble its smallest one metre harrow, and three hours to assemble its largest eight metre harrow.
Vittorio Pegoraro handcrafted the first agricultural equipment in a small workshop under his house. His equipment began to grow in popularity and in the following years, his company traded under the name Pegoraro Agricultural Constructions.
Continuing as a family business, in 1988, sons Giovanni and Luciano Pegoraro created the brand name Alpego. According to the manufacturer, in this era, the main vehicle of information for the agricultural world was participation in trade fairs.
Without the internet, exhibitors were required to announce their participation through catalogues provided by trade fair organisations.
The Pegoraro brothers decided to change the company name, so they would be among the first exhibitors in the alphabetical index. Hence Alpego- ‘A’ as in the first letter of the alphabet, ‘Pego’ as a link to the surname and historical brand.
Alpego is now exporting 75% of total production.
In 1991, it built its first foldable power harrow, followed by its first combined broadcast seed-drill in 1998. In 2007, its export market turnover exceeded 50% of the company’s production.
Today, the Pegoraro family still own the company in its entirety and its machines are sold in over 40 countries worldwide.
With subsidiaries in Italy, France and the UK, the firm has in the region of 225 people employed.
Factories
Up to 2012, Alpego had just one factory. That year, it began work on a new factory in Almisano di Lonigo, with an area of 25,000m² and adding over 100 new employees.
Today it is home to Alpego’s headquarters. In 2014, it purchased a new painting plant, the first of its kind in Europe. In 2017, it expanded its historic Gambellara site, where the company was founded many years earlier.
In 2022, it purchased its third production site in Lonigo and further expanded its Gambellara and Almisano sites. In 2023, it began construction of its fourth production site which is set to be opened very shortly.
Its three factories are situated within a five km radius of one another, with its almost completed new 12,000m² site located just across the road from its main factory.
Production
Alpego prides itself in manufacturing as much of its own componentry as possible, using only high quality steel.
All steel is sourced from Sweden, while the firm only buys 5-10% of the components it requires. It even manufactures 70% of its own electronics, seals, bearings, plastic and hydraulic systems.
Alpego says it has designed its factories largely based on those in the automotive industry. Its warehouse is home to 50,000 pieces, which are all electronically logged on a central computer system.
This system automatically re-orders any parts/pieces that run low on stock. It also says that all of its raw materials are stored indoors in its warehouses.
The level of detail that goes into the assembly of its power harrows is very thorough, with every gear ran and electronically tested during assembly.
The manufacturer installed its first robot welder in 1996 and currently operates five such systems including the original unit.
Today, 85% of the welding in-house is carried out by robots, while a small amount is subbed out locally. All steel is cut in-house, with an emphasis on as little wastage as possible.
Off-cuts are collected and are melted down to produce box section. The factory runs its laser cutters seven days a week, while its presses bend all the steel in-house.
Generally the factory operates one eight-hour shift, five days a week. When the demand for equipment increases, the factory moves to two eight- hour shifts daily.
Paint system
The company has a state-of-the-art paint system which was the first of its kind in Europe. First off, all steel is shotblasted.
The steel is surface-treated by being shotblasted with metallic grit before being blown down in a pressurised cabin.
Then, it enters the washing tunnel, where it is rinsed, goes through nanotechnological treatment and is then dried.
It is then transferred to the powder-painting division. A layer of primer is applied, followed by a layer of enamel which Alpego says ensures high resistance to atmospheric events. The steel then enters the industrial ovens, which are heated to 90-100 degrees.
It’s then powder coated, and enters a second set of ovens which are heated to 180 to 200 degrees to allow the paint to dry.
With subsidiaries in Italy, France and the UK, the firm has in the region of 225 people employed.
Alpego says its paint facility is emission-free, and is in operation seven days a week. In line with many of the production systems run by European manufacturers, no equipment is built for stock, all kit is built to order. It acknowledges that the current market has dipped on the highs of 2024, but it sees a recovery forecast for 2026.
Exponential growth
In 2014, Alpego’s turnover was €15 million. In 2023, the company turned over €56 million.
Today, Alpego exports to over 40 countries. The manufacturer said the export market has been key to its growth, with the company now exporting 75% of total production.
France is its main market, accounting for over a quarter of production. This is followed by its home market in Italy, then Germany, followed by Spain and the UK. First entering the Irish market in 2006, Alpego was sold in Ireland through Alpego UK up until 2019.
In 2019, Murphy Machinery in Kilkenny took on the brand and have since sold a lot of Alpego equipment throughout the country.
The company’s push to expand in Ireland has also been seen in other countries. Today, the average age of Alpego’s workforce is just 35. It says it has a staff turnover of just 3% and is looking to further grow its workforce.
Product range
Current annual production extends to 3,500 to 4,000 machines yearly. It currently builds 57 different machines, 27 of which have been launched or updated over the last three years. Its lineup extends to offer 1,200 machine configurations.
Alpego export 75% of what it builds to over 40 countries.
Power harrows, rotavators, stone buriers, subsoilers, cultivators, disc harrows, seed drills, flail mowers and specialised vineyard equipment make up the company’s product offering.
It’s three most important products are power harrows with combination drills, subsoilers and in joint third, its rotovators and flail mowers.
The manufacturer runs its power harrow assembly line for 12 months of the year. It explained it takes one hour to assemble its smallest one-metre harrow, and three hours to assemble its largest eight-metre harrow.
Its original blacksmith workshop is located on the site of one of its factories.
The level of detail that goes into the assembly of its power harrows is very impressive and is very thorough. Every gear ran and was electronically tested during assembly, with adjustments made if necessary. All gearboxes are built in-house.
All power harrows, stone buriers and rotavators use the firm’s own patented central drive gearbox system. The cast housing is bought in, but the gears are designed and torqued in-house.
Tapered roller bearings are used, and the troughs are filled with maintenance-free liquid grease designed to keep the gears cool.
Latest products
At the EIMA show in November, Alpego expanded its range by introducing several new machines. One of its most popular items is its one-pass setup. Its regarded JET-M pneumatic seed drill is now available in an IsoBus version.
It’s electronics now allow direct control of all seeding functions from the driver’s seat.
Compatible with multiple power harrows from the Alpego range, it can be paired with tractors ranging from 85hp up to 250hp.
Next up was it’s Tyson, which is a folding rotary tiller designed for tractors up to 430hp. Its available in working widths from five to six meters. It’s designed to operate to a maximum depth of 28cm and features Alpego’s patented dual central transmission.
Alpego claims to have been the first company to design and manufacture a power harrow, which is the unit pictured.
It can be paired for seeding with Alpego’s Asmax, Aspro, And Airboost front hoppers.
Next in line was its Air Boost front hopper, for seed and fertiliser.
It has been designed with a pressurised distribution system, for high-speed operations over large working widths. Available in 2,400 or 3,200-litre capacities, it features the Avion metering units that allow the simultaneous distribution of up to three products at one time.
It can be paired with various implements and equipped with one or two distribution heads.
Among the folding power harrow display was its new eight-metre DMAX model. Equipped with redesigned side panels and the patented Twin Force Max mechanics, it’s designed to handle up to 500hp.
The DMAX was presented with the new rubber roller, designed to perform even on wet and sticky soils.
If you talk to any person in the machinery industry in Europe, the Irish are known for their slurry tankers, trailers and combination balers.
Meanwhile, the Italians are known for making kit with gearboxes, whether that be power harrows, hedge cutters or flail mulchers, the Italians know what they’re at.
To back this up, all you have to do is visit the EIMA show in Bologna, Italy, it’s jam-packed with hall after hall of home-grown manufacturers, with gearboxes, shafts and hydraulics being their speciality, a bit like they’re known for pizza and pasta to common folk.
One such Italian manufacturer who has put a massive push on worldwide growth over the past decade is Alpego. Alpego is based in northern Italy, between Milan and Venice.
Alpego claims to have been one of the first companies to design and manufacture a power harrow, and also the first company to offer an eight-metre version.
Company history
The firm’s pedigree dates back to the immediate post-war period in 1946 when it started manufacturing agricultural equipment.
It takes one hour to assemble its smallest one metre harrow, and three hours to assemble its largest eight metre harrow.
Vittorio Pegoraro handcrafted the first agricultural equipment in a small workshop under his house. His equipment began to grow in popularity and in the following years, his company traded under the name Pegoraro Agricultural Constructions.
Continuing as a family business, in 1988, sons Giovanni and Luciano Pegoraro created the brand name Alpego. According to the manufacturer, in this era, the main vehicle of information for the agricultural world was participation in trade fairs.
Without the internet, exhibitors were required to announce their participation through catalogues provided by trade fair organisations.
The Pegoraro brothers decided to change the company name, so they would be among the first exhibitors in the alphabetical index. Hence Alpego- ‘A’ as in the first letter of the alphabet, ‘Pego’ as a link to the surname and historical brand.
Alpego is now exporting 75% of total production.
In 1991, it built its first foldable power harrow, followed by its first combined broadcast seed-drill in 1998. In 2007, its export market turnover exceeded 50% of the company’s production.
Today, the Pegoraro family still own the company in its entirety and its machines are sold in over 40 countries worldwide.
With subsidiaries in Italy, France and the UK, the firm has in the region of 225 people employed.
Factories
Up to 2012, Alpego had just one factory. That year, it began work on a new factory in Almisano di Lonigo, with an area of 25,000m² and adding over 100 new employees.
Today it is home to Alpego’s headquarters. In 2014, it purchased a new painting plant, the first of its kind in Europe. In 2017, it expanded its historic Gambellara site, where the company was founded many years earlier.
In 2022, it purchased its third production site in Lonigo and further expanded its Gambellara and Almisano sites. In 2023, it began construction of its fourth production site which is set to be opened very shortly.
Its three factories are situated within a five km radius of one another, with its almost completed new 12,000m² site located just across the road from its main factory.
Production
Alpego prides itself in manufacturing as much of its own componentry as possible, using only high quality steel.
All steel is sourced from Sweden, while the firm only buys 5-10% of the components it requires. It even manufactures 70% of its own electronics, seals, bearings, plastic and hydraulic systems.
Alpego says it has designed its factories largely based on those in the automotive industry. Its warehouse is home to 50,000 pieces, which are all electronically logged on a central computer system.
This system automatically re-orders any parts/pieces that run low on stock. It also says that all of its raw materials are stored indoors in its warehouses.
The level of detail that goes into the assembly of its power harrows is very thorough, with every gear ran and electronically tested during assembly.
The manufacturer installed its first robot welder in 1996 and currently operates five such systems including the original unit.
Today, 85% of the welding in-house is carried out by robots, while a small amount is subbed out locally. All steel is cut in-house, with an emphasis on as little wastage as possible.
Off-cuts are collected and are melted down to produce box section. The factory runs its laser cutters seven days a week, while its presses bend all the steel in-house.
Generally the factory operates one eight-hour shift, five days a week. When the demand for equipment increases, the factory moves to two eight- hour shifts daily.
Paint system
The company has a state-of-the-art paint system which was the first of its kind in Europe. First off, all steel is shotblasted.
The steel is surface-treated by being shotblasted with metallic grit before being blown down in a pressurised cabin.
Then, it enters the washing tunnel, where it is rinsed, goes through nanotechnological treatment and is then dried.
It is then transferred to the powder-painting division. A layer of primer is applied, followed by a layer of enamel which Alpego says ensures high resistance to atmospheric events. The steel then enters the industrial ovens, which are heated to 90-100 degrees.
It’s then powder coated, and enters a second set of ovens which are heated to 180 to 200 degrees to allow the paint to dry.
With subsidiaries in Italy, France and the UK, the firm has in the region of 225 people employed.
Alpego says its paint facility is emission-free, and is in operation seven days a week. In line with many of the production systems run by European manufacturers, no equipment is built for stock, all kit is built to order. It acknowledges that the current market has dipped on the highs of 2024, but it sees a recovery forecast for 2026.
Exponential growth
In 2014, Alpego’s turnover was €15 million. In 2023, the company turned over €56 million.
Today, Alpego exports to over 40 countries. The manufacturer said the export market has been key to its growth, with the company now exporting 75% of total production.
France is its main market, accounting for over a quarter of production. This is followed by its home market in Italy, then Germany, followed by Spain and the UK. First entering the Irish market in 2006, Alpego was sold in Ireland through Alpego UK up until 2019.
In 2019, Murphy Machinery in Kilkenny took on the brand and have since sold a lot of Alpego equipment throughout the country.
The company’s push to expand in Ireland has also been seen in other countries. Today, the average age of Alpego’s workforce is just 35. It says it has a staff turnover of just 3% and is looking to further grow its workforce.
Product range
Current annual production extends to 3,500 to 4,000 machines yearly. It currently builds 57 different machines, 27 of which have been launched or updated over the last three years. Its lineup extends to offer 1,200 machine configurations.
Alpego export 75% of what it builds to over 40 countries.
Power harrows, rotavators, stone buriers, subsoilers, cultivators, disc harrows, seed drills, flail mowers and specialised vineyard equipment make up the company’s product offering.
It’s three most important products are power harrows with combination drills, subsoilers and in joint third, its rotovators and flail mowers.
The manufacturer runs its power harrow assembly line for 12 months of the year. It explained it takes one hour to assemble its smallest one-metre harrow, and three hours to assemble its largest eight-metre harrow.
Its original blacksmith workshop is located on the site of one of its factories.
The level of detail that goes into the assembly of its power harrows is very impressive and is very thorough. Every gear ran and was electronically tested during assembly, with adjustments made if necessary. All gearboxes are built in-house.
All power harrows, stone buriers and rotavators use the firm’s own patented central drive gearbox system. The cast housing is bought in, but the gears are designed and torqued in-house.
Tapered roller bearings are used, and the troughs are filled with maintenance-free liquid grease designed to keep the gears cool.
Latest products
At the EIMA show in November, Alpego expanded its range by introducing several new machines. One of its most popular items is its one-pass setup. Its regarded JET-M pneumatic seed drill is now available in an IsoBus version.
It’s electronics now allow direct control of all seeding functions from the driver’s seat.
Compatible with multiple power harrows from the Alpego range, it can be paired with tractors ranging from 85hp up to 250hp.
Next up was it’s Tyson, which is a folding rotary tiller designed for tractors up to 430hp. Its available in working widths from five to six meters. It’s designed to operate to a maximum depth of 28cm and features Alpego’s patented dual central transmission.
Alpego claims to have been the first company to design and manufacture a power harrow, which is the unit pictured.
It can be paired for seeding with Alpego’s Asmax, Aspro, And Airboost front hoppers.
Next in line was its Air Boost front hopper, for seed and fertiliser.
It has been designed with a pressurised distribution system, for high-speed operations over large working widths. Available in 2,400 or 3,200-litre capacities, it features the Avion metering units that allow the simultaneous distribution of up to three products at one time.
It can be paired with various implements and equipped with one or two distribution heads.
Among the folding power harrow display was its new eight-metre DMAX model. Equipped with redesigned side panels and the patented Twin Force Max mechanics, it’s designed to handle up to 500hp.
The DMAX was presented with the new rubber roller, designed to perform even on wet and sticky soils.
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