Kubota North America, part of Japan-based agricultural machinery company Kubota, is expanding its US presence in Gainesville, Georgia. The company plans to invest $140m in a new production facility for Kubota loaders, primarily for the North American market.

Construction is expected to begin later in 2022 and the site will become fully operational in 2024. The company plans to create more than 500 new manufacturing jobs.

In a press release, Shingo Hanada, president of the Kubota Tractor Corporation and Kubota North America, commented: “This announcement is yet another example of our collaborative efforts with the State of Georgia to establish Gainesville as a major manufacturing hub for our North America operations. This is an exciting time of unprecedented growth for our company, as this new investment comes right on the heels of the grand opening of our new research and development facility in Gainesville, both of which emphasise our commitments to our dealers and customers to improve operational efficiencies and realise manufacturing excellence across all areas of our business.”

Kubota North America currently employs more than 3,000 staff across manufacturing, distribution and engineering sites in Gainesville and Jefferson, Georgia. In addition, Kubota operates offices in Suwanee, Georgia; Edgerton, Kansas; Fort Worth, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; and Lodi, California, to support its local dealers.