Sakai America is celebrating two North American milestones: its 50th anniversary of operations in North America and its 25th anniversary of manufacturing in the United States.
While its parent company has been manufacturing roadbuilding equipment in Japan since 1918, Sakai America has spent the last five decades establishing its own roots and manufacturing presence in the North American market.
“Reaching half a century in North America is first and foremost a testament to the hard work and dedication of our incredible employees, as well as the enduring trust our dealer network and contractors have placed in Sakai equipment,” said Yasunori Azumi, President of Sakai America.
“We are incredibly proud of our long history in this market and remain fully dedicated to supporting the infrastructure and development of this region for many decades to come.”
Sakai entered the North American market in 1976 with its unique rubber-tired milling machine, rather than its flagship compaction line.
Recognizing that successfully introducing this specialized equipment required dedicated local support, the company established Sakai America. From the beginning, domestic manufacturing was already envisioned for when business conditions were right.
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Sakai America signed its first dealer, Arkansas-based Clark Machinery, in 1977, a partnership that continues to this day.
From its first dealer, Sakai America has grown into a network of 41 dealers spanning 199 locations across Canada and the United States.
In 2001, the company realized its long-term vision of domestic production by opening its manufacturing facility in Adairsville, Georgia.
The first machine to roll off the Adairsville assembly line was an SV510D 2.1-metre smooth drum soil compactor. It was purchased by local contractor Fox & Brindle, who still owns and operates the machine today with only minimal maintenance required over the past 25 years.
Today, Sakai America continues to develop its North American operations, and more than half of all Sakai machines sold in the North American market today are built at the Adairsville facility.
To commemorate the dual anniversaries, Sakai America hosted a celebration in September at the Adairsville headquarters.
The milestone event brought together team members as well as Sakai Heavy Industries Global President, Ichiro Sakai, his son-in-law and next-generation leader Chris Takara, Executive Office & GM Corp. S
trategy, local and state leaders, fellow Japanese manufacturing presidents from the region, key suppliers and dealer partners. The gathering served as a reflection on the company’s decades of steady growth, community partnership and the strong business environment that has allowed the subsidiary to thrive in Georgia.
“For the last 25 years, we have taken immense pride in building machines right here in Adairsville,” said Wes Shepherd, Vice President of Operations at Sakai America.
“Manufacturing in the USA allows us to provide excellent jobs for our local workforce and generate significant economic benefits for our local and American component suppliers.
It also enables us to respond swiftly and flexibly to the dynamic needs of the North American asphalt paving and site work markets. The dedication of our assembly team ensures the legendary Sakai standard of reliability is built into every unit, ultimately making our rollers the most dependable machines on the job site.”
As Sakai America looks toward the future, the company continues to innovate its product lines, expand its dealer footprint, and shift more of its production from Japan to the United States.
