Kubota 50 years in Europe

2024 marks the 50th anniversary of Kubota’s arrival in Europe with the opening of the first subsidiary in France in 1974. Since then, the company has been showcasing its “For Earth, For Life” philosophy. Throughout this year, Kubota Europe will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Since its arrival in Europe, one of its three strategic regions, along with Asia and North-America, Kubota has established  a strong commercial network. This, together with its products, has made Kubota one of the brands in the areas of Construction, Groundcare and Agriculture. Kubota was founded by Gonshiro Kubota in 1890 in the Japanese city of Osaka, Apart from its own products, Kubota engines have become a power source for many OEM customers in Europe.

Thus, after the establishment of its first European subsidiary in France, Kubota has evolved with the firm will to support and solve the problems of food, water and the environment on the continent. The creation of Kubota Holding Europe (KHE) in 2017 reinforced the company’s corporate identity in Europe.

Throughout this half century and since the establishment of its first European subsidiary in France in 1974, Kubota has continued to expand in Europe with numerous subsidiaries in Germany, UK, Spain, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland and Turkey to support the growth of these markets. Today, the company has a workforce of approximately 5,000 employees and more than 1,300 dealers and distributors in the Europe region.

Kubota Europe has set up structures that are closer to its European customers. The Innovation Centre Europe (ICE) accelerates the development of new business in the Netherlands. The KRDE Research Centre in France, is an R&D hub in tune with the main markets to develop new tractor models that respond to the specific needs of crops, field conditions and work processes of European farmers.

Two European Distribution Centres, NEDC in Alblasserdam (the Netherlands) and SEDC in Cavaillon (France) enable a larger assembly capacity and logistics system for Europe.  A 22,000 m2 European logistics centre in the north east of France for the distribution of spare parts in Europe, guarantees better availability, responsiveness and quicker delivery. This is complemented by Kubota’s factories in Europe: Kubota Farm Machinery, a tractor production plant established in the north of France in 2015, and Kubota Baumaschinen GmbH, a construction machinery plant in Zweibrücken, Germany, established in 1989.

In 2012, Kubota acquired the Kverneland Group, which allowed Kubota to develop a strong position in the agricultural sector in Europe. In recent years there have been other acquisitions of major players in Europe such as Pulverizadores Fede or Gianni Ferrari.

“Celebrating 50 years of Kubota in Europe, I am honoured to acknowledge the resilience and innovation that have defined our journey. As President of Kubota Holding Europe, I extend my deepest gratitude to our dedicated team and loyal customers, dealers, distributors and partners in the region. This milestone marks not only our past achievements but also the exciting chapters we’ll script together in the years ahead. Cheers to 50 years of excellence and anticipation for what lies ahead.” said Yasukazu Kamada, President of Kubota Holding Europe.