Yanmar Compact Equipment Co. has marked a significant achievement by producing its 300,000th mini excavator at the Chikugo Plant in Fukuoka Prefecture.
This facility has been the company’s main production center since 2004 and rolled out this milestone mini excavator earlier this year. Yanmar attributes this success to decades of new ideas and strong teamwork with dealers and equipment users.
Yanmar’s journey with compact machinery began in 1968 when it introduced the YNB300, a wheeled mini excavator that helped launch its construction equipment business. The company created this machine in response to the rising need for smaller equipment as cities continued to grow.
From 1973 to 1980, Yanmar focused on expanding its lineup with mini excavators and mini wheel loaders, both of which gained positive feedback in the market.
In the 1990s, Yanmar took its product range further, especially with the 1993 launch of the ViO series. This lineup brought the first ‘zero tail swing’ design, letting machines rotate fully without the rear extending past the tracks, which opened up new work sites.
In 1998, the Sigma series followed, bringing more technology to address the challenges that come with extra-compact equipment. Today, both the ViO and Sigma series play a key role in the market.
Once a part of the Yanmar Group, Yanmar Compact Equipment became its own company in 2004. The strong market presence of the ViO and Sigma series helped Yanmar build a solid standing in the worldwide compact equipment industry.
Producing 300,000 units is about more than numbers. It highlights the dedication of Yanmar Compact Equipment’s team, who focus on listening to customers, staying involved, and building strong relationships. This achievement was possible because of close work with dealers and valuable input from machine operators around the world.
“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together with our partners and the communities we serve,” said Ryu Kudo, CEO of Yanmar Compact Equipment Japan region. “This milestone shows the strength of those partnerships and how much we value working closely with others.
We are especially thankful to the many operators who trust our mini excavators. Their feedback has been key to helping us improve.”
Yanmar Compact Equipment keeps moving forward under the “Building With You” tagline. As the industry changes fast, the company is investing in new products, new business approaches, and better support after the sale. Yanmar’s long-term goal is to become a value-focused company and help build a sustainable future with its partners and customers.
About Yanmar Compact Equipment
Yanmar Compact Equipment (Yanmar CE) designs, builds, and supports compact machines for many industries, mainly construction and earthmoving. The product range includes mini and midi excavators, wheel loaders, wheeled excavators, compact track loaders, and tracked carriers.
Customers can rely on a full range of services that help them succeed. Yanmar CE, with deep roots in Japan, runs factories in Asia, Europe, and North America and supports customers through a global dealer network.
Known for its fresh ideas, Yanmar CE was the first to offer the mini excavator now seen as a standard. The company changed the industry with the zero-tail swing feature and is trusted for reliability and strong performance. The company’s approach is summed up by its tagline, “Building with you”.
Learn more at the official website: https://www.yanmar.com/global/construction/
About Yanmar
Founded in Osaka, Japan in 1912, Yanmar became the first to create a compact diesel engine fit for real-world use in 1933. As a pioneer in diesel engines, Yanmar now offers a wide range of industrial solutions.
These include small and large engines, farm machinery, construction equipment, energy systems, marine products, machine tools, and parts.
Yanmar operates worldwide across seven business areas. On land, at sea, and in cities, Yanmar delivers practical answers to customer needs while working toward a sustainable future. Find more information on the Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd. website.
