SDF Group is an Italian
agricultural machinery
Agricultural machinery relates to the machine (mechanical), mechanical structures and devices used in farming or other agriculture. There are list of agricultural machinery, many types of such equipment, from hand tools and power tools to tractor ...
manufacturer founded in 1927 and with its headquarters in
Treviglio
Treviglio (; ) is a town and (i.e. municipality) in the province of Bergamo, in Lombardy, Northern Italy. It lies south of the province capital, in the lower territory called .
It is also part of the geographic area named , included among the r ...
(
Bergamo
Bergamo ( , ; ) is a city in the Alps, alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from the alpine lakes Lake Como, Como and Lake Iseo, Iseo and 70 km (43 mi) from Lake Garda, Garda and Lake ...
),
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. SDF is one of the world's leading manufacturers of
tractors
A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a Trailer (vehicle), trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or constructio ...
,
combine harvester
The modern combine harvester, also called a combine, is a machine designed to harvest a variety of cultivated seeds. Combine harvesters are one of the most economically important labour-saving inventions, significantly reducing the fraction of ...
s, and
diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which Combustion, ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to Mechanics, mechanical Compr ...
s. The group's products are commercialized under the brand names
SAME,
Deutz-Fahr,
Lamborghini Trattori, Hürlimann, Grégoire and VitiBot. The tractors produced by the group cover a power range from 25 to 440 HP, while its combine harvesters cover a range of powers up to 395 HP.
History of the group
The history of the group dates back to 1927, with the creation of one of the first tractor powered by a diesel engine by brother Francesco and Eugenio Cassani. In 1942 the foundation of the company
SAME (Società Accomandita Motori Endotermici) in
Treviglio
Treviglio (; ) is a town and (i.e. municipality) in the province of Bergamo, in Lombardy, Northern Italy. It lies south of the province capital, in the lower territory called .
It is also part of the geographic area named , included among the r ...
(
Bergamo
Bergamo ( , ; ) is a city in the Alps, alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from the alpine lakes Lake Como, Como and Lake Iseo, Iseo and 70 km (43 mi) from Lake Garda, Garda and Lake ...
) crowned the company's founders' dream. After buying
Lamborghini Trattori S.p.A. in 1973 from its founder
Ferruccio Lamborghini
Ferruccio Lamborghini ( ; ; 28 April 1916 – 20 February 1993) was an Italian automobile designer, soldier, inventor, mechanic, engineer, winemaker, industrialist, and businessman who created Lamborghini Trattori in 1948 and the Lamborghini, ...
, SAME embarked on a strategy of growth through acquisitions. With its acquisition of Hürlimann in 1979, the company changed its name to SAME-Lamborghini-Hürlimann (S-L-H).
In 1995, the group acquired
Deutz-Fahr from the German group
KHD, changing name definitively to SAME Deutz-Fahr (SDF).
SAME Deutz-Fahr India was founded in 1996.

From 2003 to 2012, SDF was a shareholder in the German group
Deutz AG
Deutz AG is a German internal combustion engine manufacturer, based in Porz, Cologne, Germany.
History
The company was founded by Nicolaus Otto, the inventor of the four-stroke internal combustion engine, and his partner Eugen Langen on 3 ...
. In 2003, the group acquired 10% of the
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
based company
Sampo-Rosenlew, which specialised in the production of components and 4 and 5 straw walker combine harvesters. This shareholding was subsequently sold.
In 2005, following its acquisition of the
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
based company Ðuro Ðaković, the group founded the company Deutz-Fahr Combines, through which it now produces Deutz-Fahr branded components and combine harvesters.
In 2008, the SAME Deutz-Fahr Historical Archives and Museum was established at the group's main headquarters in
Treviglio
Treviglio (; ) is a town and (i.e. municipality) in the province of Bergamo, in Lombardy, Northern Italy. It lies south of the province capital, in the lower territory called .
It is also part of the geographic area named , included among the r ...
.
In 2011, the group acquired Grégoire A/S, a company which specialised in equipment for wine farming, olive oil farming, pruning and for the treatment and harvesting of grapes and olives. Also in 2011, SDF initiated a
joint venture
A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...
in China with Shandong Changlin Machinery.
In 2014, the company SAME Deutz-Fahr Traktör Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. was founded in Istanbul,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
and the company Agricoltural Equipment in China is acquired and in 2016 SDF acquires the majority of the Chinese business.
In 2022, SDF acquires VitiBot, French leader in the production of autonomous and electric robots for vineyards.
In February 2025, a partnership was announced with
AGCO Corporation to have SDF produce tractors up to 85 hp under the
Massey Ferguson
Massey Ferguson is an agricultural machinery manufacturer, established in 1953 through the merger of farm equipment makers Massey-Harris of Canada and the Ferguson Company of Ireland. It was based in Coventry then moved to Beauvais in 2003 when ...
brand for distribution into the global markeplace.
Global operations
SDF has 9 production sites, 12 commercial branches, 1 joint venture in China, 155 importers, over 3,100 dealers, and 4,400 employees.

SDF's farm equipment, machinery, and logistics research and development is funded by a €50 million
European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's investment bank and is owned by the 27 member states. It is the largest multilateral financial institution in the world. The EIB finances and invests both through equity and debt sol ...
loan secured by the
European Fund for Strategic Investments. The initiative is part of
Horizon 2020
The Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development, also called Framework Programmes or abbreviated FP1 to FP9, are funding programmes created by the European Union/European Commission to support and foster research in the Europe ...
and is in accordance with the Paris
Agreement's objectives.
A senior engineer at the
European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's investment bank and is owned by the 27 member states. It is the largest multilateral financial institution in the world. The EIB finances and invests both through equity and debt sol ...
, Matteo Fusari, who worked on the project, says, "We expect this project to have quite a good environmental impact." “It allows for
vehicle automation
Vehicular automation is using technology to assist or replace the operator of a vehicle such as a car, truck, aircraft, rocket, military vehicle, or boat. Assisted vehicles are ''semi-autonomous'', whereas vehicles that can travel without a ...
and monitoring from a distance. These innovations will increase the efficiency of
bioeconomy supply chains, in addition to reducing fuel consumption and
CO2 emissions.”
Production plants
*
Treviglio
Treviglio (; ) is a town and (i.e. municipality) in the province of Bergamo, in Lombardy, Northern Italy. It lies south of the province capital, in the lower territory called .
It is also part of the geographic area named , included among the r ...
(Italy): mid and mid-high power tractors from 70 to 170 HP
*
Lauingen (Germany): mid and mid-high power tractors from 130 HP
*
Županja
Županja (, , ) is a town in eastern Slavonia, Croatia, located 254 km east of Zagreb. It is administratively part of the Vukovar-Syrmia County. It is inhabited by 12,090 people (2011).
Županja lies on the Sava river opposite Bosnia and He ...
(
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
): combines and harvesting machines
*
Ranipet
Ranipet (lit. Queen's colony) is an industrial town and the administrative headquarters of Ranipet district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the Northern banks of the Palar River. It is a Tri-City with the adjacent municipali ...
(
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
): low and low-mid power tractors up to 110 HP, diesel engines from 30 to 170 HP.
*
Châteaubernard (France): machines for grape and olive harvesting, towed and self-propelled
*
Bandirma (
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
): mid-power tractors from up to 130 HP
*
Linshu (China): tractors up to 280 HP, combines and harvesting machines, from 32 to 140 HP
*
Suihua
Suihua ( zh, c=绥化) is a prefecture-level city in west-central Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China, adjacent to Yichun, Heilongjiang, Yichun to the east, Harbin, the provincial capital, to the south, Daqing to the west and Heihe t ...
(China): tractors with 210 HP
Awards
Tractors produced by the SDF group have earned numerous awards and accolades over the years. These include:
Brands
*
SAME
*
Deutz-Fahr
*
Lamborghini Trattori
* Hürlimann
* Grégoire
References
External links
{{Portal, Companies
SDF Group official site
Agricultural machinery manufacturers of Italy
Tractor manufacturers of Italy
Italian brands
Multinational companies headquartered in Italy
Manufacturing companies established in 1927
Italian companies established in 1927
Companies based in Lombardy
Province of Bergamo