Ag-machinery developer Croplands buys Narembeen’s Sonic Boomsprays

Narembeen-based sprayer manufacturer Sonic Boomsprays has been bought out by ag-machinery developer Croplands Equipment as the multinational juggernaut continues its expansion into Australia.

The acquisition follows the expansion of Croplands’ Adelaide manufacturing site, announced earlier this year, in a move set to strengthen the company’s Australian manufacturing footprint.

A Croplands spokesman said the purchase would give the company “additional capacity and operating efficiencies to meet the needs of growers across Australia”.

A home-grown product of WA’s Wheatbelt, Sonic was established by Max and Lynette Hebbermann in 1995 with the goal of producing premium quality spraying equipment for the broadacre farming industry.

The company — which specialises in sprayers fitted with cable-suspended hydraulic booms — won the new release award at the 2019 Newdegate Machinery Field Days for its 7030-36WI Sonic WEEDit.

The award-winning boomspray was designed and manufactured alongside Croplands and comes equipped with optical spot spraying technology to help grain growers eliminate weeds plaguing paddocks.

Croplands general manager Sean Mulvaney said both companies had built a strong relationship over the past four years, having collaborated on the development and commercialisation of the WEED-IT range.

“We see Sonic as a perfect fit for Croplands as the companies share many values including quality, integrity, resourcefulness and an ongoing industry commitment to produce spraying solutions that deliver efficiency and long-term sustainability for growers,” he said.

“Croplands also started as a family business and while we’ve grown a lot over 50 years, we are still guided by the same strong family values and a respect for the challenges faced by our customers.

“The acquisition of Sonic will increase Croplands’ capacity to bring WEED-IT equipped sprayers to market and also accelerate market access for the wider Sonic product range through Croplands’ extensive sales, distribution and service network.”

Mr Mulvaney said Sonic had been an “important contributor” to the Shire of Narembeen and Croplands’ would continue expanding the operation to provide further employment opportunities in the community.

Mr and Mrs Hebbermann will transition away from the business, though their children Shanon and Kandi will remain, along with all other Sonic staff.

Settlement will be completed in late November and Sonic will continue to operate out of its Narembeen factory.

“We are incredibly excited and confident in this acquisition and the positive impact it will have on the Croplands business as a whole,” Mr Mulvaney said.

Since 1972, Croplands has grown into one of the most popular sprayer brands on the market, servicing the broadacre, horticulture, viticulture, tree crop, compact and home garden sectors.

The company originated in New Zealand and was purchased by global crop protection and seed technology company Nufarm in 1988.

Croplands now has manufacturing and marketing operations throughout New Zealand, Australia and Canada.