NEWBERRY, S.C. – Komatsu America Corp. held the grand opening of its Newberry Manufacturing Operation (NMO) on May 29. The $20-million, 200,000-square-foot facility is set on 80 acres 35 miles northwest of Columbia, S.C., and is the fifth major manufacturing plant Komatsu has established in North America.
“This facility furthers our dedication to the utility market in North America,” said Komatsu’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David Grzelak. “It showcases Komatsu’s focus on our customers’ success and is a sign of dedication to producing high-quality Komatsu product in North America.”
Besides Grzelak, other guest speakers at the grand opening included Masahiro Sakane, president of Komatsu’s Tokyo headquarters; Ken Nakamura, president and chief operating officer; Charles Way, South Carolina secretary of commerce; and James Morris, chief of staff. The event also included a ceremonial tree planting using an NMO-produced backhoe loader.
In addition to the Newberry plant, Komatsu has two plants in Chattanooga, Tenn.; one in Candiac, Quebec, Canada; one in Lexington, Ky.; a distribution hub in Ripley, Tenn.; and a technical training center in Cartersville, Ga.
The author is Managing Editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at nwisniewski@lawnandlandscape.com.