Yanmar CE Marks Mini Excavator Milestone with Its 300,000th Machine

Yanmar Compact Equipment Co. has celebrated a major production milestone. The company recently announced the manufacture of its 300,000th mini excavator at its Chikugo Plant in Fukuoka Prefecture — Yanmar’s primary manufacturing hub since 2004. Yanmar credited this milestone to decades of innovation and close collaboration with its dealer partners and equipment operators.

Here are some notable events in Yanmar’s rich history with compact construction machinery:

• 1968: Yanmar launched the YNB300, a wheeled mini excavator that laid the foundation for its construction equipment business.
• 1973-1980: The company focused on developing compact construction machinery such as mini excavators and mini wheel loaders, which were well received in the market.
• 1993: Yanmar introduced the ViO series, featuring a “zero tail swing” design. This allowed the machines to rotate without rear overhang and opened up a new market segment.
• 1998: The company debuted the Sigma series. This addressed the limitations of ultra-compact equipment with further technological advancements.
• 2004: Yanmar Compact Equipment is established as a standalone company. The company said the success of the ViO and Sigma series helped secure Yanmar’s foothold in the global compact equipment industry.

According to the company’s press release, the manufacturing milestone reflects the dedication and efforts of Yanmar Compact Equipment employees. The company said its employees have consistently prioritized listening to customers, taking a hands-on approach and building trust. Yanmar added that strong partnerships with regional dealers and feedback from equipment operators around the world were also instrumental in reaching the milestone.

“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together with our partners and the communities we serve,” said Ryu Kudo CEO of Yanmar Compact Equipment Japan region. “This milestone reflects the strength of those relationships and the value of close collaboration. We’re especially grateful to the many operators who have relied on our mini excavators and whose feedback has played a key role in driving our continuous improvement.”

Pam Kleineke is managing editor of Compact Equipment.