KATY, TX KOBELCO USA is continuing its commitment to providing customers with quality products from its North American excavator production facility with plans to nearly double manufacturing capacity by 2018.

Mass production at the Spartanburg, South Carolina, facility began in 2016 with conventional machines weighing 20-plus tons. Throughout the past year, KOBELCO has increased production capacity by threefold as the facility is ramping up to produce 1,800 units/year. Today, seven excavator models are being produced at KOBELCO's US manufacturing facility - the SK210LC-10, SK210LC-10 Long Reach, SK260LC-10 Long Reach, SK300LC-10, SK300LC-10 High & Wide, SK350LC-10 and SK500LC-10.

KOBELCO will increase manufacturing capacity in late fall of 2017 with the addition of the SK500LC-10 unit with removable counterweight as well as the SK210LC-10 High & Wide. And by 2018, production capacity will include a total of 11 models with the addition of the SK170LC-10 and SK260LC-10 excavators.

"In a short period of time, we went from land and dirt to a factory with excavator production in full swing," said Pete Morita, Vice President - Excavator Division of KOBELCO USA. "We continue to increase US production capacity, expand our US manufacturing team and keep our dealers and customers up and running by delivering excavators that are built like no other excavators in the industry. This is an exciting time for KOBELCO USA as we implement aggressive plans to further our growth and momentum in 2018."

KOBELCO's U.S.-based manufacturing facility also allows the company to proudly support the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). And as a participant of the AEM I Make America campaign, KOBELCO has created more than 100 new jobs to date for the skilled workforce living in the communities that surround the Greenville and Spartanburg area. KOBELCO is currently conducting another phase of hiring which will welcome more than 20 new employees in all operational areas including fabrication, paint, assembly and warehouse. The KOBELCO US production facility plans to steadily increase the number of employees during the next year.