Proud of our history - Looking to the future
Vilvoorde, October 2017 - On 21 and 22 September 2017, Komatsu Europe International N.V. (KEISA) celebrated its 50th anniversary with current and retired employees, and delegates from European distributors and suppliers. A formal ceremony was held at the company’s Vilvoorde headquarters, followed by an event at the Castle Ter Block, in Overijse, near Brussels.
Among the over 300 guests who honoured the celebrations with their presence were Mr Tetsuji Ohashi, President and CEO of Komatsu Ltd, Mr Peter Howe, KEISA Chairman of the Board, Mr Mas Morishita, KEISA CEO and Managing Director, Mr Lodewijk De Witte, Governor of Flemish Brabant, Mr Hans Bonte, Mayor of Vilvoorde, and His Excellency Hajime Hayashi, Ambassador for Japan to Belgium.
From left to right: Mr Ohashi, Mr De Witte, Mr Benny Elshof, Mr Bonte, Mr Hajime Hayashi, Mr Morishita.
After speeches by special guests, and a tour of the Vilvoorde headquarters’ warehouse, the party moved to Castle Ter Block for a relaxed evening dinner punctuated by the distribution of awards to Komatsu Distributors, and by events referring to Japanese culture: a “kagami biraki” ceremony was held, with the opening of a sake barrel, and goals were reaffirmed during a “Daruma doll” ritual.
50 years in Europe
Named “N.V. Komatsu Europe S.A” when it was founded in Belgium in 1967, Komatsu Europe is one of the very first premises established outside Japan by Komatsu Ltd., the world-renowned manufacturer of construction and industrial equipment based in Tokyo.
Originally located in Antwerp, then in Haren in the Brussels area, Komatsu Europe moved to Vilvoorde in 1973, near the Brussel airport and into a new European coordination centre with a separate spare parts warehouse.
In December 1989, it was officially renamed “Komatsu Europe International N.V.” with a goal to coordinate and expand Komatsu's operations across Europe. In 2005, “Komatsu Financial Europe” was launched, to provide customers with tailor-made financing solutions and lower costs of ownership. In 2006, new buildings were built with the current offices and meeting rooms.
Today, Komatsu Europe employs over 300 people. Technicians, sales profiles, marketing and legal experts work with the administrative staff and with an extensive network of over 40 distributors and 5 Komatsu plants. Komatsu Europe develops, manufactures and imports premium construction, utility and mining equipment for the European and North African markets. It specializes in earthmoving technologies such as those integrated into Komatsu’s exclusive Hybrid or intelligent Machine Control models.
“Komatsu high technology equipment is world renowned for its productivity, reliability, economical operation, ease of use and safety” says Mas Morishita, CEO and Managing Director of KEISA. “As leaders in the industry, both in action and in thought, Komatsu Europe follows our brand’s long-standing philosophy: with a constant focus on innovation, we offer unique and unrivalled products, and provide top quality services to customers, to allow them to perform better and to achieve their goals.”
Komatsu Europe is also the centre for Komatsu Europe Parts Operations (KEPO). A sixty thousand square meters warehouse holds over 200.000 different references for Komatsu spare parts, which can quickly be shipped to Komatsu Distributors in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“Komatsu Europe is here to stay, as the most innovative brand in the industry” says Dirk Stukkens, General Manager Remarketing. “We are always there for our customers; we work as a team and grow with our distributors”.
Over the years, Komatsu Europe’s work force has generated growth in many countries and markets, sharing common characteristics such as perseverance, efficiency and trustworthiness…in the image of Komatsu machines.
“We are all proud to carry the Komatsu brand” concludes Mr Morishita. “We will continue to work to achieve the high standards of the Komatsu Way, the company’s philosophy and DNA, as we move into the next 50 years.”
Information in this news release is current on the date of the announcement and is subject to change without notice.
