Where Are Kubota Tractors Made? A History of the Kubota Tractor Company
Table of Contents:
1. The beginnings of the Kubota tractor company
2. Where is Kubota industrial equipment and tractor implements made?
3. Other Kubota manufacturing locations
4. Kubota today
5. Get Kubota compatible parts from a trusted supplier
All construction workers and farmers know the name Kubota. This Japanese corporation manufactures various products, such as agricultural machinery (including tractors, compact tractors, and tractor implements) construction equipment, and engines, but also vending machines, pumps, valves, cast metal, and air conditioning equipment.
The history of this multinational brand dates to the end of the 19th century and has many interesting aspects. Want to know more about how your favorite 'orange tractor' came into existence? Read on to find out!
The beginnings of the Kubota tractor company
The Kubota Company story dates to the year 1890. It was then when a young (only 19 years old!) and determined Gonshiro Kubota started a metal casting business in Osaka, Japan. Even though he was young, he knew what he wanted to achieve - help the world.
Kubota's motto was 'If you try hard, you can get it done'. This belief led him to produce high-quality products that made his customers' lives easier. However, Kubota's style was not unscrupulous. This entrepreneur's vision was to be fulfilled with the environment in mind.
The most important moments
The Kubota Corporation has gone through a lot of changes throughout their years of operation. Their history is marked by many important events, which we will briefly outline below:
1922 - Kubota started manufacturing cutting-edge oil-based engines for agro-industrial applications. In 1930, the Ministry of Commerce announced the Kubota Oil Engine as an 'Excellent Domestic Product'.
1953 - Kubota established Kubota Kenki K.K. and started producing construction equipment. Apart from manufacturing standard construction equipment they also started producing marine deck machinery.
1960 - Kubota entered the environmental improvement industry by developing Japanese farm tractors and paddy field tractors.
1969 - with a new motto 'Create an environment affluent to human beings', the company started to enter the US tractor market as the Kubota Tractor Corporation.
1986 - the start of the manufacturing of electronic circuit boards, radio-controlled lawnmowers, and hard discs.
1990 - the 100th anniversary of the operation brought a name change to the Kubota Corporation.
2005 - Kubota's total production exceeded 3 million tractor units.
2009 - the company set up the first tractor production plant in Thailand - Siam Kubota Tractor Co., Ltd.
2010 - the Kubota company received the certification of 'Eco-First Company' from Japan’s Ministry of the Environment.
2014 - the company expanded production locations to include France - Kubota Farm Machinery Europe S.A.S.
2015 - Kubota launched their tractors on the Indian market.
Today, Kubota is one of the largest manufacturers of construction and agricultural equipment in the world. Its plants are located in more than 25 countries.
Where is Kubota industrial equipment and tractor implements made?
Nowadays, it is not only in Japan that Kubota production takes place. It is also in the United States, and to be more precise, Georgia. Most of the Kubota tractors distributed across North America are produced there. Many American customers have voted Kubota as one of the best tractor brands in the world. Thanks to the production of reliable and powerful tractors, the Kubota company has earned a great reputation among customers.
Kubota's Tractors in America
In 1988 Gainesville in Georgia became the headquarters of all Kubota operations in North America. The company was established as Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation (called Kubota America). In the beginning, the company manufactured front loaders and backhoes for tractors.
Their production now includes subcompact tractors, garden tractors, lawn tractors for grass cutting, and rough terrain and utility vehicles ('RTVs'). Some machine parts are imported from Japan and assembled in Georgia to be later distributed in the USA.
Kubota America produces more than 100,000 units every year at its Georgia facility. More than 2,300 employees work in Kubota America and make Kubota tractors for sale within the United States and beyond. Some of the Kubota tractors made in the Georgia facility are exported worldwide.
In 2015 Kubota manufactured its one-millionth tractor in the United States and does not show any signs of stopping. In 2019, they announced a 300-acre expansion (worth $85 million!) of its manufacturing facility in Georgia.
Kubota Engines in America
Since 1982 and the establishment of the United States Engine Division, Kubota manufactures tractor engines at Kubota Engine America in Illinois. This facility also works at full speed, as it produced 100,000 engines by 1998 and 200,000 engines by 2004.
Kubota Engine America produces:
- tractor diesel engines up to 300 horsepower (new Kubota S7509),
- general drive engines,
- industrial engines,
- generators.
Other Kubota manufacturing locations
Since the establishment of the company, Kubota products have been manufactured in Japan. However, its success allowed it to develop production facilities also in other parts of the world, for example:
- in China - Kubota Agricultural Machinery (SUZHOU) Co., Ltd.,
- in India - Agricultural Machinery India Pvt. Ltd (KAI)
Kubota today
Since we already know Kubota does not slow down, we could expect that cutting-edge solutions will bring automation. And indeed, in 2017 Kubota started working on an autonomous agricultural machine. Kubota's AgriRobo allows for automatic operation with no operator involved. Built-in automatic driving technology allows these to achieve highly accurate cultivating.
Since the beginning of their existence, Kubota has been pioneering technologies. Their passion for producing quality products led them to the creation of new energy-saving solutions, improving fuel efficiency and ensuring greater durability and longevity of the products. It led the company to greatness and to the leading position in the market of agricultural and construction machines and components.
Even though the scope of production has changed and expanded over the decades, to this day Kubota is still guided by two initial values - helping its customers in an environmentally-friendly way.
Get Kubota compatible parts from a trusted supplier
Skidsteers.com offers their customers several attachments and tracks that will fit many models of Kubota machines. All components that our store carries are made of the best quality material, including American steel, and are proudly produced in the USA.
If you need any help with checking the compatibility and choosing the appropriate components, let us know. We will be happy to answer any questions you might have about Kubota products or any other parts that catch your eye.