Yanmar Holdings Co. and Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. are advancing their strategic collaboration in compact equipment, building on the strengths of two established construction equipment manufacturers and their respective brands, products and dealer networks.
Yanmar Holdings and Hitachi Construction Machinery signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) on July 23, 2026, and have since been exploring collaboration in the compact equipment business.
As the first initiative under their broader collaboration, Yanmar Compact Equipment North America and Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas have agreed on an OEM supply program under which Yanmar CE NA will manufacture compact track loaders (CTLs) for Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas at its Grand Rapids, Minnesota facility.
Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas plans to begin selling the CTLs in North America under the LANDCROS brand in fall 2027.
The companies are also moving forward with preparations for a reciprocal OEM arrangement under which Hitachi Construction Machinery would supply compact excavators for distribution through Yanmar CE's North American dealer network. Together, these initiatives reflect the companies' intention to leverage their complementary product portfolios, manufacturing expertise and established distribution networks to create additional opportunities for customers and dealers.
Building on Two Established Businesses
Yanmar Group has an established presence in the North American compact construction equipment market, offering a broad portfolio that includes CTLs, mini excavators, wheel loaders and tracked carriers. Its products serve customers across construction, landscaping, agriculture, forestry and other demanding applications.
Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas brings extensive construction equipment expertise, an established dealer network, and strong customer relationships across North America. Through this OEM collaboration, Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas will expand its compact equipment portfolio with Yanmar CE NA-manufactured CTLs, complementing its existing mini excavator and compact wheel loader offerings.
Supporting Manufacturing Growth,Dealer Opportunities
The CTL supply program recognizes the strength of Yanmar's product engineering and manufacturing capabilities in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and creates an opportunity to expand production and strengthen the operation's long-term competitiveness.
The two companies will continue discussions on a broad range of collaboration opportunities while maintaining and respecting the distinctiveness of their respective brands and sales channels. With delivering greater value to customers and dealers as their top priority, they aim to further develop the compact equipment business and achieve sustainable growth.
Comment from Tetsuya Yamamoto, Executive Vice President, Representative Director of Yanmar Holdings
"We believe this collaboration represents an important opportunity to combine Yanmar's strengths in the North American compact construction equipment market, built through our products, manufacturing expertise and dealer network, with the strengths of Hitachi Construction Machinery to better address the needs of our customers," said Tetsuya Yamamoto, executive vice president, representative director of Yanmar Holdings. "We see significant potential for further market expansion through the mutual supply of products beyond CTLs, and we are confident that this collaboration will enable us to deliver even greater value to our customers and dealers."
"North America's CTL market exceeds 100,000 units in annual demand, making it the largest segment of the compact equipment market," said Masafumi Senzaki, president and executive officer, Hitachi Construction Machinery. "It is especially meaningful to us to offer customers CTLs — a segment with strong growth prospects — under LANDCROS, our new corporate brand, beginning in April 2027. By building on the strengths of both companies' brands and sales channels, we will continue to deliver greater value to customers and dealers and drive further growth in our compact equipment business."
