Kubota Expands US Tractor Factory

Kubota Corporation today announced the grand opening of its new $73 million manufacturing facility at Kubota Industrial Equipment in Jefferson, Georgia, United States. The 522,000-square-foot plant on the 88-acre site recently began production of Kubota's 30- to 50-horsepower compact tractor models. The grand opening event was co-sponsored by Kubota Tractor Corporation, the U.S. marketer and distributor of Kubota tractors and equipment.

"Georgia is proud to join with Kubota today in celebrating one of our state's greatest business success stories," said Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. "Kubota's record of consistent growth has contributed to the quality of life for countless Georgia families as well as the overall health of our economy. This expansion will further help to make Georgia the number one place in the country in which to do business."

Kubota began doing business in Georgia approximately 40 years ago, with its first operations located in Norcross. In the mid-1980s, Kubota purchased its first office building in the state at the current Southeast Division headquarters in Suwanee. Since that time, Kubota has further expanded its operation in Georgia to include Kubota Manufacturing of America (KMA) in Gainesville; its National Distribution Center (NDC) in Jefferson; and Kubota Industrial Equipment (KIE), also in Jefferson. Today in Georgia, the company employs more than 1,700 people at Kubota facilities and has 43 dealerships that retail and market Kubota-branded products.

"We are committed to making investments that will enable us to grow our business to meet the strong demand for Kubota tractors here in the U.S.," said Mr. Henry Kubota, president of KIE. "Our goal is to efficiently deliver quality products that provide value to our customers and with the expanded capabilities that our new plant will deliver, we can achieve that goal today and into the future."

Added to existing facilities in the state, the recent expansion brings Kubota's total footprint of manufacturing and assembly space in Georgia to 2.1 million square feet. The new facility is located on the same site as the existing KIE property in Jefferson, which currently produces Kubota implements, including loaders and backhoes. Once fully operational, the new facility will add hundreds of new jobs to support the production capacity of 22,000 units annually.

The announcement comes on the heels of Kubota's recent 40-year anniversary in the United States. In 1972, Kubota entered the market with three tractor models; today, the company offers a complete line of tractors up to 118 PTO horsepower, and is the industry leader in the under 40-horsepower tractor segment.

Kubota products currently manufactured and assembled at Georgia facilities include RTV utility vehicles; BX-Series subcompact tractors; Z-Series commercial and residential zero-turn mowers; and Kubota implements and attachments, including loaders, backhoes and mower decks. Just added at the new KIE facility are the Kubota L3200 and L3800 compact tractors.

"We are honored that Kubota has decided to expand its presence in the city of Jefferson," said Jim Joiner, mayor, the city of Jefferson. "Kubota has been an excellent corporate citizen and we look forward to our continued partnership involving this third expansion in the McClure Industrial Park. Creating much needed jobs in our community is a priority of the City of Jefferson. We welcome Kubota's expansion and the new jobs that will be added to their operations."

The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) partnered with the development authorities of Jefferson and Jackson County and the City of Jefferson to manage the KIE expansion. GDEcD senior regional project manager Susie Haggard managed this expansion on behalf of the state.

"Georgia's 40-year business relationship with Japan has been the foundation of success for Kubota and hundreds of other Japanese companies here," said GDEcD Commissioner Chris Cummiskey. "Our unique package of workforce, location, affordability and global access is very attractive for international companies looking to expand their markets."

Kubota Social Responsibility
As Kubota's business and overall footprint has grown in the state and throughout the U.S., the company has maintained its global commitment to minimizing its impact on the environment. As part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives, KIE has adopted several environmentally-conscious processes and product-installations onsite, resulting in the facility receiving ISO 14001 certification. Among its most advanced environmentally-conscious technology is the Kubota Membrane installation that will allow KIE to recycle and reuse 70 percent of its overall water consumption, which is particularly beneficial for the work done onsite within the facility's paint shop operation.