Massey Ferguson was founded in 1847 by Daniel Massey as the Newcastle Foundry and Machine Manufactory in Newcastle, Ontario. Massey manufactured some of the world’s first mechanical threshers, steam engines and other farm implements.
In 1953, the company purchased the British-based cottage industry that was to become Massey Ferguson from the Harry Ferguson Company. This merger was one of the first major mergers of its kind in the agricultural sector. Ferguson’s innovative Ferguson System equipment made it possible for tractors to function efficiently with various sizes of equipment. The company began producing Massey Ferguson branded tractors in 1958. Over the ensuing decades, Massey Ferguson became one of the world’s most successful manufacturers of farm resources and one of the first truly global farm equipment companies.