“At this age, I do it for the bronze, not the silver”define a THE NATION José Walter Berger. The businessman, who today heads Berger SA, assumed the official representation of Deutz-Fahr in Argentina under the orbit of the group Same Deutz-Fahr (SDF) and a premise: “I would never put my name on a project that does not have the best that I can give. Behind each unit sold, the last name is at stake.” At 66 years old, Berger leads a structure like “Master Importer” which generates 200 direct and indirect jobs throughout the country for the return of a brand with 150 years of history in the manufacture of machinery.
The firm officially resumed operations in the local market in July 2025. Berger projects by March 2026 the inauguration of a center distribution in Trenque Lauquen, key to guarantee technical support and the provision of original spare parts.
At this age, I do it for the bronze, not the silver”
— Walter Berger
Currently, the firm Berger SA already operates with eight official concessionaires and has business units in sectors such as livestock and agriculture. The focus is not limited to selling, but rather building a strong network.
The operation has an estimate – in a first phase – that is between 5 and 10 million dollars of investmentcontemplating the entire import structure. Since October, more than 100 units have already entered the local market. The current offer includes more than 15 tractor models that cover powers from 35 HP to 280 HP, aimed at different segments of agricultural activity.
In this context, the Argentina will host for the first time the “Dealer Meeting”a meeting of importers from all over Latin America. The meeting will be attended by the world leadership of the company SDF: he CEO Ludovico Bussolati; the CCO Alessandro Maritano; Paolo Rivolo, director of the international region, and the commercial manager for Latin America, Ignacio Barrenese, next to Dario Fernandez commercial manager for South America. For the first time, the brand will have its own stand in Expoagro 2026.
The brand’s history in the country has recorded milestones since 1959, with the local manufacture of tractors and engines under the DECA seal. Following the global merger in 1968, which united engine engineering Deutz with the technology of Fahrthe firm consolidated itself in the Argentine field. However, the economic ups and downs of the 90s forced changes in the business model: in 1996, the AGCO group acquired the local subsidiary and, two years later, founded a joint venture to manufacture units with 75% national components, such as the aforementioned 6.125 A line.
That link with AGCO was later dissolved. As Berger explained, the alliance expired when the original “presence and efficiency” of German engineering faded and pillars such as technical service and the supply of spare parts were lost.
At a global level, the brand found its definitive stability in 1995 when the SAME group —which then becomes SDF— acquires the Deutz-Fahr agricultural machinery division from the German KHD and the brand remains within the holding company led for the familia Carozza.
Before the return with Berger SA., the return of the brand faced logistical and commercial setbacks. In 2016, an attempted comeback by the Pla firm was cut short when it was acquired by John Deere. Subsequently, the representation briefly went through the Caldomaq group and the Gauss Landtechnik firm.
Today Berger assumed full control as “Master Importer”direct from the SDF group. The current strategy focuses on the import of cutting-edge European technology.
The new stage is proposed as the reconstruction of a system that prioritizes technical support. “The product alone is not enough. Without a network, spare parts and service, even a great machine loses value”Berger said.
The units come from SDF plants in Germany, Italy, Türkiye and India. Berger pointed out that the current deregulation scenario facilitates the entry of machinery, which allows competition for operational value. “The worst business is having a unit stopped,” defined the businessman, whose focus is on real productivity per hour worked. With his sights set on the next Expoagro, this agricultural businessman seeks to consolidate the brand as a long-term productive asset for the Argentine producer.
