Yanmar to invest in US production

The Yanmar Compact Equipment North America (Yanmar CE NA) business unit of Japan-based Yanmar Co. Ltd. has announced plans for a 32,000-square-foot expansion to its Grand Rapids, Minnesota, facility.

The new expansion, which includes a paint system, will increase paint capacity by up to three times with maximum automation and allow a parts manufacturing capacity increase of up to two times in the previously occupied space. The factory prepares Yanmar Compact Equipment and ASV branded equipment for the North American market.

Yanmar says the project “sets the stage for future capacity increases,” with company officials projecting the addition of hundreds of full-time positions over the next five years. It expects to break ground this spring on the expansion, with a target for completion in 2024.

“We received a lot of support through the investment of Yanmar Co. Ltd., and several city, county and state grants and loans to help make this expansion happen,” says Tate Johnson, president of Yanmar CE NA. “The expansion will improve efficiency, allowing us to better serve our customers as we continue to grow as a leader in compact equipment.”

The new paint system will convert a liquid paint process to a powder coating system, adding “more paint capacity for a higher production rate,” Yanmar says, adding that the relocated paint system will allow the space previously occupied to be outfitted with robotic weld cells and cutting tables.

The growth of the Grand Rapids facility may entail the addition “of hundreds of full-time positions in the next five years,” according to Yanmar. During the previous three years, Yanmar CE NA has increased its staff by 35 percent.

Yanmar CE NA offers compact excavators, tracked carriers and wheel loaders and ASV Posi-Track compact track loaders to the North American market.