Kobelco Officially Opens U.S. Excavator Plant

Kobelco Construction Machinery U.S.A. Inc. (KCMU) has opened its new hydraulic excavator plant Spartanburg County, South Carolina, USA. KCMU is the U.S. subsidiary of Kobelco Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The new plant has actually been in operation since March, but the grand opening marked the beginning of full-scale production.

The plant has initially begun manufacturing 20-ton class excavators, for which KCMU said demand is the highest in the U.S. markets. KCMU plans to gradually increase production volume and expand the production menu.

With the full-scale operation of the Spartanburg Plant, Kobelco said it will now be able to reduce production lead time for its North American customers, better accommodate market needs, expand the range of cross-sourcing channels, and establish a production structure throughout the entire group.

Under its Medium-Term Management Plan covering fiscal years 2016 to 2020, the Kobelco Construction Machinery Group said it has set a policy to “establish itself as a global excavator manufacturer by improving its presence in Europe, the U.S. and new growth areas.