Komatsu broke ground in late March on a $20 million, 200,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Newbury, S.C., the company's third domestic plant. The facility, scheduled to begin production in January 2002, will manufacture backhoes and small construction equipment.

The plant will employ about 100 people to build backhoe models — WB140-2, WB140PS, WB150-2 and WB150PS — that are currently manufactured in Japan and Italy. First-year production at the new plant is expected to reach 2,000 units and increase to 5,000 units by 2005 with the addition of other related machines, according to the company.

“North America represents 45 percent of the global market for small construction machinery, with annual sales of approximately 270,000 units,” said Komatsu America International president Ken Nakamura.

“This facility will specifically serve that market.”