Kobelco Construction Machinery Co Ltd (KCM) recently held a ceremony at its Ogaki factory in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, to celebrate the production of the 111,111th mini excavator that rolled out from the facility. The Ogaki factory manufactures all Kobelco mini excavators for both domestic and overseas use.

KCM (formerly the construction machinery division of Kobe Steel Ltd) entered into mini excavator business in 1988 and commenced the production of 4- to 5-t machines in Hiroshima in 1990. Later, the company outsourced the production of 1- to 3.5-t machines to Shinko Engineering Co Ltd – a group company of Kobe Steel - and started to produce mini excavators at the current Ogaki factory in 1992.

In 2006, KCM established the mini excavator production framework – which is in use today - by taking over the mini excavator business from Shinko Engineering and relocating the production of 4- to 5-t machines from Hiroshima to the Ogaki factory. With a manufacturing capacity of 7,300 units per year, the Ogaki factory made a cumulative total of 111,111 units in January 2020 since the commencement of outsourced production.

“The cumulative production of 111,111 units is a milestone attained in strong headwinds,” said Kazuhide Naraki, president and CEO of KCM. “I would like to pay respect to the capabilities in development, manufacturing, sales, marketing, and services that our predecessors have established, and I would also like to recognise the efforts and hard work of employees by properly carrying on the legacy. I hope that you will continue to develop mini excavators that meet the expectations of customers around the world.”