As of January 1st of this year, Branson Tractors are no longer a brand. The parent company, Kukje, a south Korean tractor company, was purchased by TYM, another company based there. The two product lines are now merged together, the dealer organizations have been combined, and everything from now on will be sold under the TYM brand.
TYM stands for Tong Yang Moolsan, and with the Kukje acquisition, the company becomes the largest South Korean-based tractor company. They purchased Kukje primarily for their diesel engine manufacturing capabilities, but also enhanced their distribution with the Branson tractor in North America, by gaining access to their dealer network. Branson dealers were converted to TYM where possible, anywhere there were conflicts, the strongest dealer got the franchise. TYM dealers will now have access to parts for both brands.
TYM is obviously trying to spread their tractor costs over as many units as it possible, which is the goal of any manufacturer. They currently build tractors for Rural King, and for Bad Boy, as well as a few models for Mahindra. In addition, they’ve recently signed an agreement to provide some economy tractors for Yanmar dealers. There are a lot of TYM tractors available, under multiple brands.
Other South Korean-based companies trying to gain as much volume as possible are Daedong, who produces their own Kioti branded tractors and also similar models for Bobcat; and LS, who produces small tractors for New Holland and Case.
Trying to keep track of which companies share products and build for competitors has always been tough, especially on the smaller tractors. It’s gotten increasingly complex as more distributors enter the tractor business selling tractors that may already have a footprint in the North American market.
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