Hitachi restructuring its European factories

Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV (HCME) intends to reorganise its European manufacturing operations. The firm has two factories in Oosterhout and Amsterdam and is making the change in a bid to boost both efficiency and competitiveness, with this move planned to be complete by April 2018. The current Oosterhout factory is to focus its entire operation on mini and compact excavators, ranging from 1-8tonnes. Hitachi says that its market share in this segment has risen significantly in recent years
March 14, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Hitachi is reorganising its European manufacturing operations in a bid to boost capacity
233 Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV (1139 HCME) intends to reorganise its European manufacturing operations. The firm has two factories in Oosterhout and Amsterdam and is making the change in a bid to boost both efficiency and competitiveness, with this move planned to be complete by April 2018.

The current Oosterhout factory is to focus its entire operation on mini and compact excavators, ranging from 1-8tonnes. Hitachi says that its market share in this segment has risen significantly in recent years and the move will help to meet growing demand by increasing production by more than 50%.

Hitachi will also set up a new distribution centre, which together with the Oosterhout factory will serve as a hub for the delivery of mini and compact excavators. Customers will benefit from considerably shorter delivery times.

Hitachi has made several investments in the Oosterhout factory in recent years, which have vastly improved its overall efficiency and quality standards.

In line with the restructure, production of the ZX85 excavator will move from the Amsterdam factory to Oosterhout. Assembly of Hitachi’s special application machines (including demolition, super long front and clamshell telescopic arm excavators) will move to the Amsterdam factory from Oosterhout later this year. HCME is confident that there will be no compulsory redundancies and any permanent staff affected by the restructure will be redeployed elsewhere within the company.

HCME Director Production and Procurement, Kazutoshi Yoshioka said, “The main objective of the factory restructure is to increase production efficiency and performance in response to growing demand. This is one of the many steps we are taking as a world-leading construction machinery supplier that continuously strives to meet its customers’ needs. I am confident that our competitive position in the market will be enhanced as a result, so that we can continue to be relied upon as a trusted business partner by our customers.”
Finance & Funding

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Terex MP buys Canadian concrete mixer company
    August 2, 2022
    Terex Materials Processing (MP) has acquired Canadian company ProAll, a specialist producer of mobile volumetric concrete mixers.
    Read More
  • JCB starts production of Project 710, its Hydradig 10tonne machine
    July 7, 2016
    JCB has started full production of its new Hydradig after the machine made its international debut at the equipment trade fair bauma in Munich in April. JCB says it has already received hundreds of orders for the new 10tonne machine which is being manufactured at the JCB Heavy Products plant in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, England. Around 85 people have been recruited for the production process, including engineers, welders and assembly line employees. The JCB Hydradig was developed in complete secrecy o
    Read More
  • Swarco inaugurates new glass bead factory in lower Austria
    July 11, 2022
    Glass microspheres are a versatile product. They are used as reflectors to create nighttime visibility of road markings and traffic signs to improve road safety. But they also have multiple uses in non-traffic applications, whether as blasting media in surface treatment, as filler beads for the compaction of plastics, in additive manufacturing / 3D printing, and water filtering techniques, to name just a few.
    Read More
  • Changing face of global construction industry
    February 28, 2012
    David CA Phillips reports on the changing structure of the global construction equipment industry. In 2007, the year of peak historical demand and before the onset of the international financial crisis, estimated total sales of key equipment types stood at just over 1,000,000 units, valued at approximately US$100 billion. By 2009 sales had fallen to around 600,000 units valued at around $65 billion. The consequences of the global financial recession were dramatic and immediate, and remain with us today, and
    Read More

Highlighted Content