Our Lely Centers support our farmers every day. In 2001, Lely Center Heerenveen in the Dutch northern province Friesland was the first Benelux-based Lely Center to open their doors. Holding the record for highest adoption rate in automatic milking, this Center operates in an interesting and ever-expanding region. 

With almost 70 employees and an installed base of – amongst others - 1,350 Lely Astronauts and 300 Lely Junos, the Frisian region of Heerenveen holds the record for the highest adoption rate in automatic milking systems. Considering the high number of grazing farms in the area, no less than 90% of local farmers decide to invest in automatic milking systems. 

“The first Lely Astronaut in our area was sold by our Lely Center around 1997”, Anne Meestringa, Manager of Lely Center Heerenveen, recalls. “Before that, all milking robots were sold through the Lely head office in Maassluis. So, when our Center in Heerenveen opened, the products and mechanics moved with us. The market was still small back then but in the next 10 years, we sold about a hundred Lely Astronauts. And even today, our installed base is growing; smaller and average-sized farms are expanding and the options for automation are becoming more and more interesting - also for them!”