Takeuchi Manufacturing: Over Five Decades of Innovation

This year Takeuchi Manufacturing is celebrating 53 years of growth and innovation. From their humble beginnings as subcontractors in a small Japanese factory, Takeuchi Manufacturing has become one of the largest equipment manufacturers in the world.

Takeuchi Manufacturing Is Founded

In 1963, at the age of 30, Takeuchi founder and president Akio Takeuchi left a local auto parts manufacturer and opened the first Takeuchi plant. The factory was opened in the small town of Sakaki, Japan and to this day remains their main headquarters.

Akio Takeuchi's First Factory in Sakaki Japan

Innovations

Akio Takeuchi was not satisfied with being just another equipment manufacturer. For decades they built their success by creating new technologies to overcome common issues that other manufacturers repeatedly overlooked.

In 1971, Akio was asked to create a smaller excavator specifically intended for work on house foundations. Three short months later, Takeuchi invented the world’s first compact excavator, the TB1000. The TB1000 excavator was compact, lightweight and able to accomplish jobs that its larger cousins couldn’t handle due to their size.

The First Compact Excavator Ever Built, the Takeuchi TB100 

In 1978, Takeuchi began shipping the TB1000 overseas, gaining a larger share of the worldwide market in the process. In 1979 Takeuchi Mfg. (U.S.), Ltd, the first American subsidiary, opened its doors in Pendergrass, GA. Today the compact excavator sector has grown to an estimated $5.85 billion-dollar industry with nearly 200,000 sales worldwide and a must-have for construction industry professionals.

Fast forward to 1986 when Takeuchi invented the world’s first compact track loader. After noticing the wheels of compact skid-steer loaders getting stuck in mud and rough terrain, Takeuchi engineers went to the drawing board to create their next big breakthrough. Takeuchi attached a track system to their line of powerful compact loaders, creating the world’s first track loader, the TL150. 

The Worlds First Track Loader, the TL150 in the US headquarters in Pendergrass, GA

These tough-as-nails machines could operate on just about any terrain and quickly became one of the company’s flagship products. When compact track loaders hit the U.S. market in 1995, they began to corner the loader market. Today’s track loaders outsell skid steer loaders by over 12% with more than 40,000 units sold in the U.S. alone. These two product lines have revolutionized the construction industry and have positioned Takeuchi as a leading provider of compact earth-moving equipment.

Now after five decades of innovation, Takeuchi is still pushing the boundaries of the construction equipment industry. At ConExpo 2011 in Las Vegas, Takeuchi introduced the world’s first, fully Electric Hydraulic Excavator, the TB117e. The TB117e produced zero exhaust emissions as well as minimal sound and vibrations making it ideal for work in hospitals, schools, shopping centers, high rise buildings and other highly congested areas. Owners also enjoyed up to 80% savings in operating costs, eliminating the need for diesel fuel, fuel filters, engine oil and filters, drastically reducing maintenance costs. The TB117es utilizes truly “green” engines that run on fast-charging lithium-ion batteries and deliver a breakout force of 4.079 lbs. for up to six uninterrupted hours. These machines represented a huge leap forward in green technology and became one of Takeuchi’s most popular products.

The TB117e Fully Electric Hydraulic Excavator  

Takeuchi Worldwide

Since their inception in 1963, Takeuchi has spread to every corner of the globe. The company expanded to the United States in 1979 with their first location in Pendergrass, GA; the United Kingdom in 1996; France in 2000; and China in 2006. They have been involved in major historical events including, helping to dismantle the Berlin Wall.

In 2014, Durante Rentals became an exclusive Takeuchi dealer for NYC, Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties and NY Takeuchi was officially born. While the $700 Billion NYC construction market continues to grow, their partnership with Takeuchi has allowed Durante Rentals to maintain an unprecedented annual growth rate of 45%. With seven NY-based locations and growing, they have achieved remarkable market share in the earth-moving equipment category as more and more construction professionals discover the four Pillars of Excellence that Takeuchi has become synonymous with – Performance, Durability, Operator Comfort and Serviceability.

Pictured from left: John Vranches, Regional Manager of Takeuchi US; John Durante, President of Durante Rentals; Anthony Durante, CEO of Durante Rentals; and Clay Eubanks, President of Takeuchi US