GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Engines Division of Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) has announced the appointment of Atsuhiro Yoshimatsu as executive vice president of the General Purpose Engine Division and general manager of research & development. The appointment is effective immediately.

He replaces Eisaku Mori, who held a similar position, and returned to Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI) as general manager of General Purpose Engine Division.

Yoshimatsu, who has been with Kawasaki companies for nearly 35 years, brings a broad scope of experience to his new position in Grand Rapids.

Originally assigned as an engineer for the brand’s motorcycle group—both for consumer product application and competitive racing—he transitioned to the general purpose engine division where he initially worked as an engineer developing Kawasaki’s FC180V engine.

He came to the U.S. to establish the R&D center at Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. in Maryville, Mo. (KMM) in the mid-1990s before returning to Japan to work on the development of several new additions to the Kawasaki engine line-up.

Upon returning again to the U.S., he ultimately became R&D director at the Maryville facility, which was then turning out hundreds of thousands of units each year. Following numerous initiatives that helped assure Kawasaki brand growth here, he took over as R&D senior manager at Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. General Purpose Engine Division.

This current posting back in the U.S. provides Yoshimatsu with oversight of all facets of the Engines Division operations.

“I’m pleased to be able to work with an experienced team that easily integrates functions so that company objectives are quickly met, benefiting us, our OEMs, distributors and dealers, and Kawasaki end-users,” said Yoshimatsu.