Kobelco produces its 300,000th excavator

Kobelco celebrated the production milestone with a ceremony at its Itsukaichi factory in Hiroshima, Japan.

Japanese manufacturer Kobelco Construction Machinery has produced its 300,000th hydraulic excavator to date.

The Tokyo-based firm said it would not have achieved the milestone if were not for the support of its customers, and held a celebratory ceremony at its Itsukaichi factory in Hiroshima Prefecture to mark the occasion.

Speaking at the event, Kobelco’s President and CEO, Yoshinori Onoe, said, “The achievement of the accumulated production of 300,000 units is the result of our creation of an array of products that satisfy the needs of the times, while overcoming challenges and continuing to innovate.

“Our mission now is to pass on our corporate philosophy of ‘user hands-on approach’, which has been driving our business, to the next generation. Together, through our collective effort, Kobelco can make a further leap forward.”

While Kobelco was officially founded in 1999 - as a result of the demerger of Kobe Steel’s construction machinery business - the hydraulic excavators it produces today have a history that stretches back to 1983 when Kobe Steel acquired Yutani Heavy Industries.

It was then that the company began producing excavators at its production site in Hiroshima and, later, a merger led to the creation of the first SK Series excavator - the machine from which the 300,000 unit total has been calculated.

Kobelco staff pose for a commemorative photo at the ceremony.

While the very first SK Series excavator was manufactured at the company’s former Gion factory and later machines were made at its Numata factory, the 300,000th Kobelco excavator rolled off the production line at its Itsukaichi site.