A big accomplishment deserves an even bigger reward. That’s why we recently took our top five North American dealers for 2023 on the trip of a lifetime. The group traveled nearly 7,000 miles and more than 20 hours to Ueda, Nagano, Japan, home of Takeuchi’s global headquarters. The trip was a reward for receiving top honors in Takeuchi’s Dealer 360º Awards back in March.
Dealer representatives on the May 12-18 trip were Eddie Bennett, Bennett Equipment & Supply; Chad Dodson, Power Equipment; Colin Hockenberger, Parman Tractor & Equipment; Mike Paradis, Brandeis Machinery; and Steve Luby, Luby Equipment. Jeff Stewart, president, and Shay Klusmeyer, Central/Western division sales manager, both of Takeuchi-US, accompanied the dealer group on their adventure.
From Left to Right: Takeshi Kakuryu – Takeuchi; Shay Klusmeyer – Takeuchi Central/Western Division Sales Manager; Chad Dobson – Power Equipment; Eddie Bennett – Bennett Equipment & Supply; Colin Hockenberger – Parman Tractor & Equipment; Steve Luby – Luby Equipment; Mike Paradis – Brandeis Machinery; Yuta Mimura – Takeuchi
At the opening session, Mr. Takeuchi welcomed the dealers, expressing his appreciation for their long journey and his pleasure at being able to show them Takeuchi’s production facilities. He also encouraged them to enjoy some unique Japanese culture during their trip.
While in Japan, the group toured Takeuchi’s Japan facilities including the global headquarters, production facility, parts distribution center, research and development center and the new state-of-the-art excavator manufacturing plant in Aoki. Other highlights included dinner with Mr. Takeuchi and discussions with Takeuchi directors and sales department leads.
“A highlight of the trip was showing our top-performing dealers how much Takeuchi has grown over the past few years,” said Klusmeyer. “Until 18 months ago, all Takeuchi machines in the world were produced in a very limited space in Ueda. Today, our new plants in Aoki and in Moore, South Carolina have roughly doubled our manufacturing footprint and increased capacity by 40 percent. And their efforts have helped make that happen.”
The trip included time for fun, allowing the dealers to enjoy the many sights, culture and experiences Japan has to offer. The group enjoyed taking the bullet train to Kyoto and seeing the beautiful landmark Mount Fuji along the way. While in Kyoto, they also attended a samurai training and demonstration, toured the city and experienced a traditional Japanese dinner. From there, it was on to Tokyo for more sightseeing and dinner with Clay Eubanks, Takeuchi’s director of global sales.
“The most valuable part of the trip for me was seeing the Takeuchi factories in person, and especially being able to contrast the new Aoki factory with the home office location,” said Mike Paradis of Brandeis Machinery. “Takeuchi has made incredible investments in the past five years in both Japan and the U.S., and it is clear they are serious about continuing to be a major player on the global stage. The dedication to quality in both locations was evident. I can be even more confident when speaking to customers about the quality that differentiates Takeuchi machines from the competition.”
“Our dealers seemed to really enjoy the trip,” said Stewart. “It gave them a sense of who Takeuchi is and the investments we have made over the past few years. It all comes together when you see those investments in person. The visit also helped them get to know the Takeuchi team, and it helped us get to know them better as individuals, not just customers. It was a great way to strengthen our relationships as we work together to promote the Takeuchi brand.”
For more information about Takeuchi track loaders, excavators and wheel loaders, or to find a dealer near you, visit takeuchi-us.com. Follow Takeuchi-US on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter.
About Takeuchi
Takeuchi is an ISO 9001 certified manufacturer of an extensive line of compact track loaders, compact excavators, compact wheel loaders, and skid steer loaders. Founded in 1963, Takeuchi was the first company to introduce the compact excavator to North America, setting the stage for one of the highest growth product segments ever introduced in the compact equipment market. The compact excavator has become a main line product for both rental and construction/utility companies. Takeuchi continued to lead the compact construction industry with the introduction of the first compact track loader to North America.
For more information, please contact:
Lynette Von Minden, Swanson Russell
lynettev@swansonrussell.com
Phone: 402-437-6457
Stephen Odum, Takeuchi-US
stephen.odum@takeuchi-us.com
Phone: 678-873-3070