Komatsu Marks 40 Years of Manufacturing in Tennessee
Forty years is a very long time. (Trust me, I know.)
That's how long Komatsu has been producing equipment at its Chattanooga, Tennessee, factory, known as Chattanooga Manufacturing Operations (CMO).
In a world where U.S. OEMs seem to move plants out of the country at the drop of a couple of quarters' worth of spreadsheets, it says something that a Japanese equipment manufacturer has committed to building machines that long on American soil.
And the commitment is going to roll on.
"For 40 years, our Chattanooga plant has demonstrated what can be achieved when talented people are committed to quality, innovation, and continuous improvement," says Rod Bull, CEO, Komatsu North America. "Reaching 60,000 excavators is an incredible milestone, but what makes Chattanooga truly special is the generations of employees whose dedication has helped build Komatsu's reputation with customers across North America."
When the plant opened, it produced wheel loaders, rigid frame haulers, and even two models of crawler dozers.
Today, CMO produces medium-size hydraulic excavators with the company's Intelligent technology, articulated dump trucks, and forestry equipment while supporting engineering, product development and supply chain operations that serve customers across North America.
"We build about 2,500 machines here every year," says CMO GM Steve Olson. "The goal for us is to take new technologies, new experiences, and figure out how to grow this workforce to continue to provide a product that's going to carry us for generations into the future."
On July 10, employees, customers, elected officials, and community members held a ceremoney to celebrate the facility's 40th anniversary and the rollout of the 60,000th excavator built at the plant.
The celebration showcased the lineup of machines manufactured in Chattanooga, highlighting the facility's longstanding contributions to Komatsu's manufacturing footprint in the United States.
Olson says the new PC220LC-12 crawler excavator will provide the footprint for the future production of the other excavator models produced at Chattanooga.
Meet the most popular compact excavators on the market
The "Mr. Ochi" Loader
When you spend time around a Komatsu facility as I did with the 40th anniversary of the company's Chattanooga factory, you notice one thing: A deep respect within the Japanese and American relationship.
It's an atmosphere where both parties still exchange business cards with two hands and a bow of reverence, and where speakers from each culture always manage to thank the other for their contributions.
You can see it, hear it, and feel it.
It's in that spirit that a team of Komatsu employees recently restored a WA450-1 wheel loader that was produced at Chattanooga way back in 1988. The overriding reason was not that the loader was the first to receive a Komatsu engine after Japanese engineers removed the original Cummins for an evaluation.
It was because of Chattanooga's first Japanese GM, Shohei Ochi. Ochi personally operated the loader throughout the facility to reposition materials and maintain yard organization. He even used it to clear snow to avoid weather-related shutdowns.
Yes, the plant's GM took that duty upon himself.
After a decades-long stint at another local manufacturing plant supporting the making of concrete-filed counterweights, the loader was returned to the Chattanooga plant for restoration.
Mr. Ochi's loader is now on permanent display as part of the commemoration of 40 years of Chattanooga Manufacturing Operations. It salutes Mr. Ochi and the people who have built, sustained, and advanced the Chattanooga facility.
That's respect.
About the Author
Frank Raczon
Frank Raczon has covered and influenced the equipment industry for 35 years, including 15 years as senior editor of Construction Equipment, and marketing, advertising, and public relations work with the industry's top manufacturers. In addition to authoring "Caterpillar: Modern Earthmoving Marvels" (Motorbooks, 2015), he has won numerous awards in his career, highlighted by nods from the Construction Writers Association, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, the Business Marketing Association, and BtoB magazine. Raczon has also won a number of awards from publishing peer groups such as ASBPE and TABPI.