Komatsu North America celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Chattanooga Manufacturing Operation (CMO) on July 10, 2026, marking four decades of production and the rollout of the facility’s 60,000th excavator.
The milestone machine is a customized PC490LC-11 excavator built for demolition, environmental and infrastructure contractor D.H. Griffin. During the event, the company also unveiled the “Ochi Loader,” a restored WA450-1 wheel loader from 1988 named after the facility’s first Japanese general manager, Shohei Ochi.
Established in 1985, the Chattanooga plant was Komatsu’s first manufacturing facility in the United States. It currently produces medium-size hydraulic excavators, articulated haul trucks and forestry equipment while supporting engineering, product development and supply chain operations for the North American market…