Increasing production

A dedicated production line for telehandlers has been created at Komatsu Utility Europe's Este facility in northern Italy. The company hopes the increased production capacity will allow it to manufacture more than 1000 units in 2009.

Handlers were previously built on the same line as backhoe loaders at the plant, but the rapid increase in demand for backhoes - particularly from Eastern Europe - had limited the opportunity to increase telehandler production. Enrico Tonetti, managing director of Komatsu Utility Europe, said the new line was still a temporary solution; "We will be going to a second generation of the telehandlers, and we need a definitive solution."

The Este plant also manufactures skid steer loaders, mini and midi excavators up to 11 tonnes, and backhoe loaders. "We are now making too many products in a single place", said Mr Tonetti, "This is not the ideal situation." He said it was premature to speculate on where the telehandlers would eventually be produced.

Mr Armando Di Pace, general manager sales and marketing at Komatsu Utility Europe, added that it was not Komatsu's aim to compete with the specialist telehandler manufacturers - there will not, for example, be any Komatsu ‘Roto' handlers - but that Komatsu remained committed to the handler market.