By: Takeuchi
In September 2022, Takeuchi opened its first production facility outside Asia in Moore, South Carolina. Two years later, the 10,000th compact track loader rolled off the line at the Moore facility.
Takeuchi’s Moore employees signed the interior engine cover of the 10,000th CTL. That machine, a TL 12R2 model, was then shipped to Takeuchi dealer, Bennet Equipment & Supply, and sold to Scott Childress of SEC Construction in Greenville, South Carolina.
“Our employees are very proud to have produced so many machines in a relatively short period of time,” said Ralph Wabnitz, director of factory operations for Takeuchi-US, in a statement. “This achievement also means a lot to this region. Takeuchi has become a major employer in Spartanburg County, and we’re intent on being good corporate citizens who give back to the community as much as we can.”
“We started out with just 11 employees,” Wabnitz said. “Now, we’re up to 146. We kept ramping up every month. The labor market in South Carolina is extremely challenging, with an unemployment rate of just three percent, making it difficult to find the right employees with the ideal skillsets and attitudes. But we’ve assembled a great team, and they’ve made incredible strides over the past two years."
Now that the Moore facility is almost fully staffed, the team there is manufacturing all five of Takeuchi’s current track loader models. Since production started in September 2022, the team has increased the number of units produced each month.
In the near future, Wabnitz says, the South Carolina faciulity plans to start manufacturing a brand-new CTL model.
