Today, Hemisphere GPS (TSX:HEM) and YTO Group Corp. announced their OEM alliance to launch Outback Guidance precision farming products in China. YTO, a manufacturer with over 50 years of experience, provides a series of agricultural, construction and power machinery, vehicles and spare parts.
YTO is now complementing their farm machinery product line with Outback guidance systems, GPS and the eDriveX system that will automatically steer their farm machinery to centimeter-level accuracy. YTO has recently been awarded a number of units in a recent tender in Heilongjiang. Hemisphere GPS also recently displayed the Outback Guidance products on YTO's new and largest tractor, model YTO-LA2004, at the Information and Modern Agriculture Exposition (IMAE2010) in Beijing.
"Our customers will now be able to improve their farming practices and efficiency through the GPS-based Outback S3 and eDriveX automated steering system by Hemisphere GPS," says Xie Fang, Chief of Products Management at YTO. "We added more value to our farm tractor product line through the alliance with Hemisphere GPS."
Outback Guidance precision agriculture products by Hemisphere GPS help to minimize costs and maximize yields. The eDriveX automated steering solution reduces the potential for skips or overlaps and enables farmers to apply seed and chemicals only where they are needed - minimizing application costs and increasing productivity. Outback Guidance products are designed to be easy to install, operate and deliver a quick return on investment.
"Our new OEM relationship with YTO helps us build upon our position in China's rapidly growing precision farming market," said Steven Koles, president and CEO of Hemisphere GPS. "YTO's successful history in farm machinery combined with one of the world's largest agriculture markets adds up to significant potential for Hemisphere GPS."
About YTO Group Corporation YTO Group Corporation, headquartered in Luoyang City, China, is an extra-large comprehensive mechanical manufacturing company with factories, subsidiaries and offices both in China and globally. The Company, founded in 1955 and recognized as the birthplace of the first tractor in China in 1958, was to be called the 'Kingdom of Tractors'. After continuous efforts by several generations of staff for more than fifty years, it has now developed into a modern enterprise which provides a series of agricultural machinery, construction machinery, power machinery, vehicle and spare parts & components. The YTO brand was awarded the 'Famous Brand of China' by the China Administration for Industry and Commerce in 1999, and won the prize of 'China Top Brand' in 2006.
About Hemisphere GPS Hemisphere GPS designs and manufactures innovative, cost-effective GPS products for positioning, guidance, and machine control applications in agriculture, marine, construction, and other markets. The Company holds numerous patents and other intellectual property and owns several leading brand names, including Outback Guidance®, a leading brand in precision GPS for agriculture. The Company is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, with major product development, sales, and marketing facilities in Arizona, Kansas, and Australia. Hemisphere GPS is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) trading under the symbol "HEM" and is one of the TSX Cleantech designated companies. For more information about Hemisphere GPS, please go to www.hemispheregps.com.
