Kubota UK has confirmed the milestone sale of its 50,000th excavator in the British and Irish market.
The firm was the first to introduce the concept of mini-excavators into the UK in 1979, to much scepticism from a construction industry which had never seen anything like it. A mere 41 Kubota machines were sold that year.
Suffice to say, things picked up. Within five years 1,000 machines had been sold and by 1998 that number had risen to 10,000. The 25,000 milestone was reached in 2006.
Growth over the last decade has been “phenomenal”, according to Kubota, with the company reaching the 50,000 figure following a “stellar” year. To commemorate the achievement, the business will be showcasing the 50,000th machine, a Kubota K008-3 micro excavator, at its UK base in Thame Oxfordshire. The sold model of the K008-3 has been delivered to long-standing customer Hawes Plant & Tool Hire Ltd.
Kubota will be exhibiting its original KH10 model at the Hillhead show in June alongside a ‘special edition’ gold painted KX-71. The ‘gold-digger’ will be donated to construction charity, the Lighthouse Club, to be auctioned off.
Dave Roberts, managing director of Kubota UK, said, “It is quite remarkable to consider the journey Kubota has been on to reach this 50,000 excavator sales milestone. It was not plain sailing in the early years, quite the contrary, but now the results are there for all to see.
“This significant achievement is testament to the market leading build, performance and reliability of the Kubota machines. Another major part of our success is thanks to our extensive network of independent dealers, who ensure Kubota has strong local presence in each specific territory within the UK and Ireland, which is essential to our sales strategy.”
