Feb. 28, 2018 — The Japan Times is reporting that Kubota Corp. plans to spend some ¥20 billion (approx. $187 million) to build 3 new plants in the United States in an effort to strengthen overseas operations, Masatoshi Kimata, president of the Japanese construction machinery maker, said in a recent interview.

The new plants are for the production of compact machinery for housing construction, engines for construction machinery, and multipurpose four-wheel vehicles that can be used for agriculture and leisure purposes. Kubota aims to bring the plants online by 2022.

The plant for compact construction machinery will be built in the Midwest, where Kubota has sales and logistic bases, at a cost of up to ¥10 billion. Construction will start next year.

The plants to make construction machinery engines and multipurpose four-wheel vehicles will be built in Georgia with an investment of some ¥5 billion each.

This will mark the start of engine production for Kubota in the United States.