Great Plains, Kubota Celebrate Facility Grand Opening
Published: 30/12, 2022
Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc., in partnership with Kubota Corporation, announced the grand opening of its new construction equipment facility in Salina, Kan. The facility will help support growing demands for Kubota construction equipment in the U.S. First announced in 2020, the construction equipment facility was part of a $53 million expansion and included the renovation of an existing 750,000 ft2 (69,677m2) facility that had been recently vacated by a major employer in the Salina community. Employment at the facility is expected to reach at 190 people by the end of 2022, with further plans to grow to more than 900 employees in the future.
The CE Facility grand opening was commemorated with a tour of the new facility and a sake barrel ceremony – a Japanese tradition, similar to a ribbon-cutting, that symbolizes opening to harmony and good fortune. Executives from Kubota Corporation in Japan attended the grand opening, including Yuichi Kitao, President and Representative Director of Kubota Corp. Phase I of the project, including mass production of the Kubota SVL65 compact track loaders, was completed earlier this year. Phase II will be a $124 million investment that will include the installation of an automotive-grade eco-paint system with separate paint lines for powder and liquid applications. Expanded welding, assembly, and fabrication areas. Phase II is expected to be up and running by mid-2024.
As the project nears completion, other types of Kubota construction equipment will be produced at the CE Facility.