Kobelco Breaks Ground for South Carolina Production Facility
A few months ago, we reported that Kobelco planned to build a new production and office facility here in the US, to serve customers across North America. Now, we’re excited to report that Kobelco has broken ground at the 85-acre site and that project is underway.
The formal ground-breaking ceremony held recently at the plant’s location in Spartanburg, South Carolina included dignitaries from Kobelco Construction Machinery Co. Ltd. in Japan as well as their North American subsidiary Kobelco Construction Machinery USA (KCMU), headquartered in Katy, Texas.
The new manufacturing facility is expected to be completed by the end of this year, with production getting underway in January 2016. Kobelco says initially the plant will make hydraulic excavators that weigh 20 tons or more. The company offers five models in that range:
- STD Bucket Capacity – 1.05 cu yd (0.80 m3)
- Engine – 157 hp (117 kW)
- Operating Weight – 48,500 lbs (22,000 kg)
SK260LC
- STD Bucket Capacity – 1.31 cu yd (1.00 m3)
- Engine – 176 hp (131 kW)
- Operating Weight – 56,890 lbs (25,800 kg)
- STD Bucket Capacity – 1.83 cu yd (1.40 m3)
- Engine – 270 hp (201 kW)
- Operating Weight – 81,800 lbs (37,100 kg)
SK500LC
STD Bucket Capacity – 2.48 cu yd (1.90 m3)- Engine – 345 hp (257 kW)
- Operating Weight – 111,800 lbs (50,700 kg)
- STD Bucket Capacity – 4.58 cu yd (3.50 m3)
- Engine – 510 hp (380 kW)
- Operating Weight – 181,440 lbs (82,300 kg)
When this facility comes online, it will finally give KCMU the capability to integrate sales and production. Initially production is projected to be about 1800 units per year. But depending on market demand, Kobelco says the plant’s production capacity will likely be expanded to include their line of compact excavators.