HISTORY
Leif Fors, founder of Fors MW and father of FARMA, started development of an 8-tonne FARMA forwarder already in 2011. Being the entrepreneur that he was, parts from older forwarders were bought in for study purposes and talks were held with designers.
Unfortunately, Leif got cancer shortly afterwards and the project came to a halt. In the spring of 2015, Leif passed away in the aftermath of his illness, but his vision of a FARMA forwarder has been with us ever since.
HISTORY HOW IT ALL STARTED
The story of FARMA is the story of Leif Fors, a true entrepreneur. Towards the end of the 80s, Leif could never have imagined that a machine business would be the start of a journey that would lead to the establishment of one of Europe’s largest production plants for forestry and agricultural machinery in Estonia.
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Leif told us how it all began: “At the end of the 80s I took the ferry over to Estonia. The main reason for the trip was curiosity, and a great deal of general interest. But the misery I encountered just 400 kilometres off the Swedish coast had a profound effect on me. I just couldn’t ignore it and go home. As an entrepreneur, I felt I was forced to do something.”
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“The company began by manufacturing everything from circular saws to candlesticks, but business was not exactly booming. My interest in forestry led me towards the idea of manufacturing a lumber trailer.” And so it was, the first FARMA trailer was constructed on the factory floor. Initially the quality was nothing to brag about, but the price level was something else and groundbreaking.
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Leif continues: “I have always liked the forest. It was therefore exciting in the early 90s to be able to start my own farm and woodland in Estonia. The choice of lumber trailer was obvious, and over the years the Fors MW products have been industriously tested on the estate. It has happened many times that I have come into the factory in a state of irritation, after working hard on the estate during the weekend and involving everyone in the erroneous positioning of a cylinder.”
2011
In 2011, at a time when there was almost no forwarder in the middle class, Leif had analysed the market and realized that a forwarder around 8-tonnes was missing. ”8-tonne forwarders, that´s the future!” Leif announced one morning, and there were several of us who shook our heads a little that morning.
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But when all was said and done, the project was set in motion. Simple sketches were drawn up and the work of finding a designer was initiated, but without success. Leif passed away from cancer in 2015 and with that the project was mothballed. The company is managed today by Leif's daughter, Ulrica Fors.
2020
Ulrica recalls, “During the summer of 2020, a strange time for us all, we found one day the email with Leif's simple sketches on his FARMA forwarder. A crazy project to say the least, but at the same time so right. We immediately felt that this is what we should do. The time had come, it was finally time to realize Leif's dream and at the same time take a big technological step forward. The name LF8 is a tribute to the man, the myth and the legend and stands for Leif's Forwarder.
Sketches from Leif's project in 2011.
FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS
Dads’ greatest passion in life was to spend time in his forest. Well protected hoses and cylinders, a trailer that always tracks after the tractor and high ground clearance with a flat undercarriage to deflect stumps and stones in the forest were details that Leif valued highly, as well as robust trailers and cranes that would always lift that little extra. Regrettably, Leif passed away in 2015, but his legacy remains, and his estate lives on.
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To guarantee an understanding of the needs of our customers, all our forest engineers own and manage their own woodlands, and all our products are tested on the family estate. Because of this we can guarantee our understanding of the needs of our customers and their everyday lives.
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Our 30-year history has made us humble about the future. We know that anything can happen, and we know that you are never better than your last innovation or customer contact. For us, it is important to be close to our customers. From our family to yours, we want you to feel safe with your FARMA investment.
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It is with great joy that we now embark on our biggest journey ever. It starts with the FARMA LF8, but where it goes from there, the future will tell.”
Ulrica Fors
CEO