Komatsu’s Chattanooga Manufacturing Operation (CMO) holds a “special place” in the heart of the company’s Chairman, Hiroyuki Ogawa.
About two decades ago, Ogawa served as the General Manager of the factory in Tennessee, which is the first production facility Komatsu opened in the United States.
On July 10, Ogawa returned to CMO Komatsu, alongside employees, customers, elected officials and community members to celebrate the factory’s 40th anniversary.
“I came to know this community, this workforce and the spirit that makes this operation unique,” Ogawa said. “Returning today, I see a few familiar faces, but I also see a new generation of employees who are carrying that spirit forward.”
Alongside its 40th anniversary, Komatsu CMO is also celebrating the 60,000th excavator to roll off the assembly line. Throughout the factory’s history about 70,000 machines in total have rolled off its assembly lines.
“These are remarkable achievements. However, I believe the greatest achievement of CMO cannot be measured by the number of machines produced. It is measured by the people who built them,” Ogawa said.
The employees of the Chattanooga factory were quick to embrace Komatsu’s values, including a commitment to safety, quality and respect, as well as continuous improvement and an ability to never stop learning.
“What makes Chattanooga special is its ability to combine Japanese manufacturing principles with American craftsmanship, innovation and determination,” Ogawa said. “That combination has strengthened not only this facility, but Komatsu as a whole.”
A Komatsu cornerstone
Established in 1985 as Komatsu’s first manufacturing facility in the United States, the Chattanooga plant has grown into a cornerstone of the company’s North American manufacturing network.
Today, the campus produces medium-size hydraulic excavators, articulated haul trucks and forestry equipment while supporting engineering, product development and supply chain operations that serve customers across North America.
“This facility is the foundation for which we’ve grown our manufacturing and investment capabilities. It really all starts here in Chattanooga,” said Rod Bull, CEO, Komatsu North America. “We’re deeply honoured not just by the quality, the safety and the production that comes out of here, but the culture that was established here in this community.”
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When Komatsu opened in Chattanooga, David Dolan was one of the first people hired to work in the factory, joining the team on Sept. 29, 1986. Today, he is one of 16 employees hired in the 1980s that continues to help produce heavy equipment at the facility.
“Komatsu saw that Chattanooga was a great location with a strong workforce, but I also believe Komatsu saw something deeper — a community that valued quality, took pride in its workmanship and was willing to do the hard things necessary to build a better future,” Dolan said.
For Dolan, the factory’s success boils down to one word: integrity.
“As we celebrate this anniversary, I hope we remember what brought us here: hard work, integrity, teamwork and an unwavering commitment to quality,” Dolan said. “A machine can be repaired, production numbers can be adjusted and costs can be improved, but once you lose integrity, you’ve lost everything.”
Over the past four decades, the facility has continually expanded its capabilities while maintaining a strong commitment to the local community. Recent milestones include the establishment and expansion of apprenticeship offerings as part of a workforce development partnership with Chattanooga State Community College, and the 2023 return of production of the company’s line of HM400 articulated haul trucks, which had been manufactured in Japan since 2009.
“We build machines that customers depend upon every day, and we know quality is not something put on the machine at the end of the assembly line,” Dolan said. “It is built into every part, every weld, every assembly and every decision the people looking at that part make to put it together.”
Bull thanked the thousands of families that have stood behind employees like Dolan, which allowed integrity to flourish.
“Komatsu employees work very hard. There is no truer statement. Ever since I’ve been with Komatsu, that was very clear to me from day one,” Bull said.
He added success isn’t the result of one company. Rather, it depends on the entire stakeholder group.
“That philosophy has guided us not only in our previous generation, but it set the stage for how we build generations yet to come,” Bull said.
The 60,000th excavator
The anniversary celebration showcased a lineup of machines manufactured in Chattanooga, highlighting the facility’s longstanding contributions to Komatsu’s manufacturing footprint in the United States.
Attendees also witnessed the unveiling of the facility’s 60,000th excavator, a specially customized PC490LC-11 excavator built for demolition, environmental and infrastructure contractor D.H. Griffin.
Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, D.H. Griffin Companies played a major role in the Ground Zero cleanup after the September 11 terrorist attacks. David Griffin Jr. drove to New York City to volunteer right after the attack. The company then led the site demolition, removing millions of tons of debris, and coordinated multi-agency recovery operations.
The Komatsu PC490LC-11 excavator is powered by a 359-hp Komatsu engine. The excavator has an operating weight ranging from 47,930 to 49,995 kg. It can be equipped with buckets ranging from 1.12 to 3.17 cubic metres, allowing contractors to configure the machine for mass excavation, loading and other demanding applications.
A reinforced heavy-duty undercarriage provides increased lifting capacity, lateral stability and durability when working in difficult ground conditions. An enhanced Power Mode improves hydraulic flow to help reduce cycle times and increase productivity, while selectable working modes allow operators to match machine performance to the task.
Moving ahead
Over the past seven years, Komatsu has invested more than $650 million to develop its North American footprint. In 2025, the company added eight facilities in California and Arizona to the Komatsu company-owned dealer network, and this year the company plans to open a new office building in Peoria, Illinois, and a new sales and service centre in Mesa, Arizona.
For Komatsu CMO, Ogawa said he is proud of what the facility has accomplished and confident about its future serving North American contractors.
“The future will bring new challenges. It will also bring new opportunities,” Ogawa said. “I believe CMO is ready for them, because throughout its history, the operation has never stopped improving, never stopped adapting and never stopped developing its people. That is a true legacy of Chattanooga.”
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