The history of Lely
Heritage
Innovative solutions for dairy farming since 1948
Our journey began in the years after World War II, when Cornelis and Arij van der Lely set out to make farmers’ lives easier. With the invention of the Lely Acrobat, they introduced a simple yet groundbreaking solution that marked the start of mechanisation. Since then, we have pioneered robotisation and embraced digitalisation — always with the ambition to make farming more sustainable, enjoyable and profitable.
Our start
Our start
On 2 June 1948, our first successful patent is registered for a finger wheel rake, the Lely Acrobat. It marks the start of our company.
Single-disc spreader
Single-disc spreader
Introduction of the single-disc spreader, which is also the first product to be manufactured in series by ourselves.
Introduction Lely Lotus
Introduction Lely Lotus
Market introduction of Lely Lotus, with a uniquely designed hooktine to turn crop faster and more evenly.
International growth
International growth
Market launch of the Lely Roterra power harrow, later called the Lelyterra. It marks our international expansion.
First Lely Astronaut
First Lely Astronaut
Installation of the first prototype of the Lely Astronaut milking robot at two Dutch dairy farms. The official market introduction follows in 1995.
Lely Discovery barn cleaner
Lely Discovery barn cleaner
Introduction of the Lely Discovery manure scraper, our first autonomous vehicle on the market.
Lely Vector automated feeding
Lely Vector automated feeding
Launch of the Lely Vector mixing and feeding robot, offering automated, flexible and fresh feeding of cattle.
Farm management in hand
Farm management in hand
Launch of T4C InHerd (Time for Cows) apps, putting milking robot management at the farmer’s fingertips.
Opening of new Lely Campus
Opening of new Lely Campus
Opening of the new Lely Campus by Her Majesty Queen Máxima: 20,000 m2 production area and 10,000 m2 office area under BREEAM Outstanding certificate.
First Lely Future Farm Days
First Lely Future Farm Days
Introduction of the Lely Astronaut A5 and the Lely Orbiter for on-farm milk processing during the first ever Lely Future Farm Days.
New leadership
New leadership
André van Troost becomes the first non-family CEO. At the same time, Lely establishes a Supervisory Board chaired by Alexander van der Lely.
Yellow Revolutions
Yellow Revolutions
Introduction of three major innovations: Lely Exos for autonomous mowing and feeding, Lely Sphere for manure handling, and Lely Horizon, our farm management platform (replacing T4C).
Opening of the expanded Lely Campus
Opening of the expanded Lely Campus
The expanded Lely Campus is opened by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander. This means a doubling of office and production capacity in Maassluis, the Netherlands.
75 years Red Impact
75 years Red Impact
On 2 June, we celebrate a remarkable milestone: our 75th anniversary.
New chapter in dairy farming
New chapter in dairy farming
Launch of three innovations during the Yellow Revolution event: Discovery Collector C2 for sand bedding, Juno Max feed pusher for large-scale farms, and Lely Zeta for smart monitoring.
Introduction Lely Astronaut A5 Next
Introduction Lely Astronaut A5 Next
During the Future Farm Days, Lely launches Astronaut A5 Next, Astronaut Max for large-scale farms, and Lely Hub for digital resilience and data security.
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