Hof der dingen - Miniature combine harvester

West Flanders and agriculture go hand in hand — and agriculture means agricultural machinery, like this combine harvester. Mention combine harvesters, and one of the first names that comes to mind is Case New Holland, formerly Ford New Holland. 

The Case New Holland plant in Zedelgem is – unsurprisingly - the largest within the group. This factory has been around since 1906, when Leon Claeys began producing threshing machines – a machine to separate grain from the stalks and husks of crops like wheat and barley. 

In its early years, the company’s foundry primarily produced engine blocks. The introduction of the first European combine harvester in 1952 marked the start of enormous growth for the plant. Expansion even required a new road to be built, which in 1966 was named Leon Claeysstraat. 

Today, the Zedelgem plant produces 2,500 combine harvesters each year, with only 20 destined for the Flemish market. The company employs 1,960 people and generates an annual turnover of € 600 million. Figures that are nothing short of impressive. 

A full-size combine wouldn’t fit through the door, so we brought you this pocket-sized version instead.