If it seems like just a few years since we had a major expansion here at Takeuchi, that’s because that’s all it’s been. Rewind to 2016: we completed work on a 2nd warehouse at our North American distribution center and doubled our office space. At the time, we increased our distribution capacity by 40 percent to support growth.
Now fast-forward to today: We’re ready to expand again. As the economy goes, so too do manufacturers. Times are good, especially in compact equipment, and the Takeuchi brand is certainly feeling the impact. Because of the excellent growth we’ve achieved, work is underway to expand our distribution facility and build a new training complex.
Distribution Expansion
When we completed our last expansion three years ago, we knew we’d eventually need to expand again. Driven by a rapidly growing business, the expansion is coming much faster than anticipated.
By the end of this year, we will add an additional 110,000 sq. ft. to our distribution operation. The supplementary space allows us to continue to meet the needs of our customers in a timely fashion. Plus, the extra space will alleviate some congestion caused by our growing equipment lineup. Since expanding the warehouse facilities in 2016, several new models have been introduced to the market, including the TL6R and TL12R2 track loaders and TB250-2 and TB2150 excavators.
The initial warehouse build allowed us to increase our staff by 20 percent. Over the next two years we expect it to grow another 10 percent.
New Training Complex
To make way for our distribution expansion, we will lose our current training facility. However, we are building an even larger one to be used for both sales and service training. It will be located on the additional 10 acres we recently acquired.
The new 42,000 sq. ft. dedicated training center will also include a large demo area. The goal is to finish this fall before we host our annual sales school training again in 2020.
Long gone are the days where operators just jumped in the cab and simply operated their machine. Today, machines are smart and technical training is more crucial than ever. It’s so beneficial for our customers to understand proper and safe operation of our machines as well as how to best maintain and service them for years of trouble-free production.
Progress Made
For me, the most exciting part of this period in time is seeing the opportunities our growth has created for our employees and the success our customers are having with Takeuchi products. Our brand continues to make big strides each and every year.
There is not a dull moment here on the Takeuchi campus and from the looks of it, things are not going to slow down anytime soon. Our current plans are on target to be finished this fall, and we have more plans we’re excited about on the horizon.
Stay tuned.
Clay Eubanks, President