New US Utility Vehicle Plant Begins Full-scale Operation — Capacity upped with eye to further N. American business expansion
April 11, 2017
Kubota Corporation (headquarters: Naniwa-ku, Osaka; president and representative director: Masatoshi Kimata) has begun full-scale operation of a new production plant (Plant 4) for utility vehicles (UV: multi-purpose four-wheel drive vehicles) through Kubota Manufacturing of America (KMA). A plant opening ceremony was held on April 10, with attendees that included the governor of Georgia, Georgia congressional representatives, and the Japanese consul-general in Atlanta. Kubota President Masatoshi Kimata greeted the attendees, stating “KMA’s Plant 4 will be the first international production site to use the Kubota Production System (KPS). I look forward to your support as we work to become a global major brand and make this an inspiring plant that will set a new international standard in terms of quality, cost, and delivery.”
Going forward, the company will stay close to customers in the North American market and contribute to economic and social development.
1. Background to the establishment of Plant 4
- In 1972, the company established Kubota Tractor Corporation (KTC), a tractor sales company, in the United States and began exploiting the North American market with products exported from Japan, expanding its business with a product lineup that initially included mowers and equipment for light construction applications, and was expanded to include equipment for such agricultural applications as grassland management and hay transport. With the expansion of the business, the company embarked on local production and, through KMA in Georgia, produces compact tractors, zero-turn mowers, and UVs for global markets.
- To date, KMA has undertaken to expand production capacity through expansion of existing plants and other means. In September 2015, to provide manufacturing support for further expansion of its UV business, the company began construction of a new UV plant, which has now begun full-scale operation.
- With Plant 4 on line, UV production capacity has greatly increased, and to aggressively promote further expansion of the company’s North American business, coordination will be strengthened with such US entities as KTC, which has moved its headquarters from California to Texas, and Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc. (GP), a Kansas manufacturer of agricultural equipment that the company acquired last year.
2. Profiles
Plant 4 Profile
| Location | Gateway Industrial Centre, Hall County, Georgia, USA (5 kilometers north of KMA Plant 1) |
|---|---|
| Scale | Site: 175,000m2, buildings: 45,000m2 |
| Investment | Approx. USD 80 million |
| Product produced | Utility Vehicles (multi-purpose 4-wheel vehicles) |
| Production capacity | Approx. 50,000 units annually |
KMA Profile
| Name | Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation |
|---|---|
| Established | March 1, 1988 |
| Location | Gainesville Industrial Park North, Hall County, Georgia, USA |
| Representative | Hironobu Kubota, President |
| Capital | USD 10.9 million |
| Scale | Site: 948,000m2, buildings: 153,000m2 (including Plant 4, above) |
| Employees | Approx. 1,500 (as of April 2017) |
| Output (capacity) | Compact tractors, zero-turn mowers (approx. 80,000 units), utility vehicles (approx. 50,000 units/year) |
Principal US agricultural & construction equipment locations
*Website link for past related news release:
https://www.kubota.com/news/2015/20150526.html
【Picture of opening ceremony】
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(From left to right)Mr.Haruyuki Yoshida -Managing Executive Officer Kubota Corporation
Mr.Brian Jones -COO Gray Construction
Mr.Takashi Shinozuka -Consul General of Japan in Atlanta
Mr.Brian Arnold -Chief Manufacturing Officer,KMA
Mr.Henry Kubota- President KMA
Mr.Casey Cagle- Lt Gov of Georgia
Mr.Nathan Deal- Governor of Georgia
Mr.Masatoshi Kimata- President, Kubota Corporation
Mr.Ken Kitao- Senior Managing Executive Officer, Kubota Corporation
Mr.Philip Wilheit- Chairman Gainesville Hall County Development Authority
Mr.Masato Yoshikawa- President Kubota Tractor Corporation
Mr.Richard Higgins- Chaiman, Hall County Board of Commissioners
【Introduction of KMA Product Lineup】
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Utility Vehicles
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Compact Tractor（BX Series）
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Riding Lawn Mower（Zero-turn Mowers）