Is there anything else you want to share with our global colleagues and our farmers about our new solutions?
Gijs: 'Our goal is simple: to show passionate dairy farmers that Lely is here to support them, that we understand their needs and want to help them in achieving their objectives. We share their passion for milking and we’re getting even closer to what they truly need – both today and tomorrow. To me, that’s what real progress looks like!'
Timm: 'This has been the biggest validation programme Lely has ever done. To me, this really shows that Lely will lead the industry. It demonstrates that we bring solutions that are proven on real farms. Not only will they make life easier for farmers, but it will also make life easier for our colleagues at Lely Centers worldwide.'
Thomas: 'Our road to automated milking started with farmers who were willing to work with machines that were still maturing so they could be among the first. Our market has changed since then. With the new A5 Next, we now offer – more than ever – a reliable solution for those who want professionalism, functionality and reliability above all else. To reach the next group of farmers, we need to give them confidence to choose for Lely.'
What are your expectations for the coming period?
Gijs: 'We expect to see increased interest in Lely. We believe this will attract new customers who haven’t been in touch with us before, as well as existing customers looking to upgrade to our new Astronaut A5 Next. Additionally, I expect that it will indirectly increase the demand for our feeding or manure solutions, boosting our focus on a balanced portfolio.'
Timm: 'We do not just expand our portfolio– we strengthen it. We create new sales opportunities for our Lely Centers by better meeting individual farm needs.'
How does our new milking proposition add value for our farmers?
Thomas: 'It brings more flexibility and reduces repetitive labour for the farmer – which is especially valuable for larger farms. Our new milking robot offers higher reliability and smarter software. It also significantly increases the direct communication and data sharing between the robot, farmer and our TSS team, enabling us to offer support more proactively. With features like the new camera, we provide farmers even deeper insights into their cows and herds, helping them make better data-driven decisions. In the end, this means less labour and more control.'
Thomas Blömer
Gijs Scholman
Gijs joined Lely as Chief Commercial Officer in April 2013
He grew up on a dairy farm and studied animal science at the Agricultural University of Wageningen in the Netherlands. He also did an MBA at Henley Management College
Gijs has a passion for the outdoors and enjoys gardening, hiking, running and skiing
Timm Staggen
Thomas joined the Lely Center in Cologne after completing his training as a farmer and subsequently studying agricultural sciences at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences
He started working as a salesperson at the Lely Center in 2010 and is now Sales Manager at the Lely Center in Cologne
In his free time, Thomas likes getting together with his family and friends. He also has a passion for farming and helps out on his uncle’s farm
Timm joined Lely in September 2020 as CPS and has been working as Manager Proposition Milking since September 2023
He comes from a family-owned dairy farm in the north of Germany and studied at Kiel University of Applied Sciences. Before Lely, he worked as Team Lead at the local milk recording administration and as Head of Sales for a Dutch breeding company
Whenever possible, Timm can be found in the company of cows, living his passion for livestock shows and the wonderful world of dairy farming
Why are these new solutions so important for Lely, and how do they contribute to our vision of the Farm of the Future?
Gijs: 'At Lely, we aim to be the technology leader in our industry. To stay ahead, it’s crucial that we keep launching new solutions. Our new milking proposition, introduced during the Lely Future Farm Days in June, is a great example of how we continue to lead in technology, while at the same time responding to ever-changing customer needs. One of the most striking features is the automatic milk filter that comes with the Lely Astronaut A5 Next. It replaces paper filter socks, making it more sustainable and economic. We’re also contributing to animal welfare by improving our robots’ adaptability to cows, and we’re supporting farmers by making our solutions more user-friendly, reliable and efficient. In the end, it’s all about helping farmers run their farms in a profitable, sustainable and enjoyable way.’
During the Lely Future Farm Days in June, we proudly launched our new milking proposition: Lely Astronaut A5 Next and Lely Astronaut Max. We could not have done this without the efforts of Lely colleagues around the globe. That is why, for this edition of Boardwalk, we arranged a conversation between our Chief Commercial Officer Gijs Scholman, Timm Staggen – Manager Proposition Milking at Cluster DACH – and Thomas Blömer – Sales Manager at Lely Center Cologne, Germany.
Which role has our distribution channel played in its development and introduction?
Timm: 'The Clusters and Lely Centers have played a crucial role in shaping our new solutions. They are based on real needs brought in from the field, showing that we truly listen to our customers. These latest additions to our milking portfolio support sustainable farming and make daily, repetitive tasks easier for our farmers. We’re making automation more accessible to farms with lower investment needs, adding new insights into animal welfare and expanding our portfolio of high-performance, customised solutions for large-scale farms.’
‘Our new solutions are a direct response to real needs brought in from the field’
BOARDWALK
Thomas Blömer
Thomas joined the Lely Center in Cologne after completing his training as a farmer and subsequently studying agricultural sciences at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences
He started working as a salesperson at the Lely Center in 2010 and is now Sales Manager at the Lely Center in Cologne
In his free time, Thomas likes getting together with his family and friends. He also has a passion for farming and helps out on his uncle’s farm
During the Lely Future Farm Days in June, we proudly launched our new milking proposition: Lely Astronaut A5 Next and Lely Astronaut Max. We could not have done this without the efforts of Lely colleagues around the globe. That is why, for this edition of Boardwalk, we arranged a conversation between our Chief Commercial Officer Gijs Scholman, Timm Staggen – Manager Proposition Milking at Cluster DACH – and Thomas Blömer – Sales Manager at Lely Center Cologne, Germany.
Is there anything else you want to share with our global colleagues and our farmers about our new solutions?
Gijs: 'Our goal is simple: to show passionate dairy farmers that Lely is here to support them, that we understand their needs and want to help them in achieving their objectives. We share their passion for milking and we’re getting even closer to what they truly need – both today and tomorrow. To me, that’s what real progress looks like!'
Timm: 'This has been the biggest validation programme Lely has ever done. To me, this really shows that Lely will lead the industry. It demonstrates that we bring solutions that are proven on real farms. Not only will they make life easier for farmers, but it will also make life easier for our colleagues at Lely Centers worldwide.'
Thomas: 'Our road to automated milking started with farmers who were willing to work with machines that were still maturing so they could be among the first. Our market has changed since then. With the new A5 Next, we now offer – more than ever – a reliable solution for those who want professionalism, functionality and reliability above all else. To reach the next group of farmers, we need to give them confidence to choose for Lely.'
What are your expectations for the coming period?
Gijs: 'We expect to see increased interest in Lely. We believe this will attract new customers who haven’t been in touch with us before, as well as existing customers looking to upgrade to our new Astronaut A5 Next. Additionally, I expect that it will indirectly increase the demand for our feeding or manure solutions, boosting our focus on a balanced portfolio.'
Timm: 'We do not just expand our portfolio– we strengthen it. We create new sales opportunities for our Lely Centers by better meeting individual farm needs.'
How does our new milking proposition add value for our farmers?
Thomas: 'It brings more flexibility and reduces repetitive labour for the farmer – which is especially valuable for larger farms. Our new milking robot offers higher reliability and smarter software. It also significantly increases the direct communication and data sharing between the robot, farmer and our TSS team, enabling us to offer support more proactively. With features like the new camera, we provide farmers even deeper insights into their cows and herds, helping them make better data-driven decisions. In the end, this means less labour and more control.'
Gijs Scholman
Gijs joined Lely as Chief Commercial Officer in April 2013
He grew up on a dairy farm and studied animal science at the Agricultural University of Wageningen in the Netherlands. He also did an MBA at Henley Management College
Gijs has a passion for the outdoors and enjoys gardening, hiking, running and skiing
Timm Staggen
Timm joined Lely in September 2020 as CPS and has been working as Manager Proposition Milking since September 2023
He comes from a family-owned dairy farm in the north of Germany and studied at Kiel University of Applied Sciences. Before Lely, he worked as Team Lead at the local milk recording administration and as Head of Sales for a Dutch breeding company
Whenever possible, Timm can be found in the company of cows, living his passion for livestock shows and the wonderful world of dairy farming
Which role has our distribution channel played in its development and introduction?
Timm: 'The Clusters and Lely Centers have played a crucial role in shaping our new solutions. They are based on real needs brought in from the field, showing that we truly listen to our customers. These latest additions to our milking portfolio support sustainable farming and make daily, repetitive tasks easier for our farmers. We’re making automation more accessible to farms with lower investment needs, adding new insights into animal welfare and expanding our portfolio of high-performance, customised solutions for large-scale farms.’
Why are these new solutions so important for Lely, and how do they contribute to our vision of the Farm of the Future?
Gijs: 'At Lely, we aim to be the technology leader in our industry. To stay ahead, it’s crucial that we keep launching new solutions. Our new milking proposition, introduced during the Lely Future Farm Days in June, is a great example of how we continue to lead in technology, while at the same time responding to ever-changing customer needs. One of the most striking features is the automatic milk filter that comes with the Lely Astronaut A5 Next. It replaces paper filter socks, making it more sustainable and economic. We’re also contributing to animal welfare by improving our robots’ adaptability to cows, and we’re supporting farmers by making our solutions more user-friendly, reliable and efficient. In the end, it’s all about helping farmers run their farms in a profitable, sustainable and enjoyable way.’
‘Our new solutions are a direct response to real needs brought in from the field’
BOARDWALK
