Trelleborg, the global supplier of agricultural tires and wheels, has become the first ever official sponsor of the prestigious Tractor of The Year awards, after signing a long-term agreement.

Launched by Italian magazine Trattori in 1998, the awards scheme — now in its 16th year — celebrates the very latest innovation in tractor design and technology from the world’s leading manufacturers and agricultural machineries.

The judging panel, made up of 21 journalists from the European agricultural industry’s most influential publications, will evaluate the performance of both open field and specialised tractors under field conditions. The winners are due to be announced at EIMA International 2012 (7th-11th November 2012, Bologna), where Trelleborg will also be showcasing its latest range of agricultural tires and complete wheel solutions.

“The choice of Trelleborg as our official sponsor of the awards was naturally driven by the key role which the company plays in the agricultural industry and its strong partnership with the leading tractor manufacturers. The partnership is also the result of the special attention Trelleborg has always given towards the real needs of farming professionals," says Stefano Agnellini, Editor of Trattori.

Lorenzo Ciferri, Marketing Director of the Agriculture division of Trelleborg Wheel Systems, commented: “As agricultural industry awards schemes go, the Tractor of The Year awards are, quite rightly, widely considered the ‘Oscars’ of our industry. We are proud to associate ourselves with them. Having assisted original equipment manufacturers with their evaluation events for the judging panel in previous years, the natural extension of our involvement in the illustrious awards scheme was to become its official sponsor.”

The tractor manufacturers’ will be competing in three award categories – Best of Specialised, Golden Tractor for Design and the overall Tractor of the Year title.

“Over the years, Tractor of The Yearhas been an important stimulus for the development of the agricultural industry.  Through this partnership, Trelleborg confirms its commitment to improve the efficiency, productivity and sustainability of future farming,” concludes Ciferri.

For more information about Tractor of The Year awards, please visit: http://www.tractoroftheyear.com

For more information about EIMA International, please visit: http://www.eima.it/en/