In 1984, Tenneco Case took control of International Harvester's agricultural division. They changed their brand name to Case International at first, and then abbreviated that to Case IH. International Harvester had been in economic turmoil since 1980, but was still one of the largest tractor manufacturers in the world. Merging the two lines brought together the best of both traditions, offering a full line of agricultural equipment, and probably saved both companies from becoming a victim of the 1980s farming recession.