Salford Expansion Continues With AerWay Acquisition

The Salford Group is expanding again. This time the Ontario-based tillage, seeding and fertilizer application company has purchased AerWay, well known to farmers for its soil aeration products.

Salford Chief Executive Officer Geof Gray says the AerWay acquisition from SAF-HOLLAND Canada Ltd allows the company to “expand our niche tillage product line-up to offer more vertical tillage and pastureland management tools that appeal to our livestock and mixed farming customers.” Both companies focus on innovative designs and create tools with multi-use capabilities, emphasize soil productivity and management as well as vertical tillage, Gray notes.

SAF-HOLLAND Canada Ltd began selling AerWay products in Canada in 1982. It all started with the New Zealand-designed Groundhog solid tine aeration device that evolved into a new AerWay-branded design. Since then, the AerWay product line has been expanded to include its Close Couple Tandem (CCT) technology, the Aeration Top-dress seeder (ATS) and its most recent Titan Complete Tillage System (CTS).

Salford and AerWay have actually worked together for many years. AerWay tools already use Salford harrow packages and AerWay is capable of carrying Salford Valmar attachments. AerWay will continue to produce equipment at its Norwich, Ontario facility, not far from Salford headquarters.

Salford has charted an aggressive growth strategy since GenNx360 Capital Partners invested in the company two years ago. Prior to the AerWay announcement, Salford purchased Valmar Airflo applicators in early 2015 and BBI spreaders late 2014. Salford Marketing Manager Anson Boak says one of the main goals going forward will be to leverage Salford’s engineering talents and continue to build on the synergies that exist between the product lines.

He notes that Salford’s next focus will be releasing new products and continuing to introduce more precision ag technology, tillage and variable application fertilizer equipment. “We’ll be able to foster connections between Valmar and AerWay for pasture over-seeding and look into merging and melding designs of AerWay’s tine shatter technology and Salford’s Coil-Tech coulter vertical tillage technology,” says Boak.

You can hear the full interview with Boak below.

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