Mr. Takeuchi Inducted into AEM Hall of Fame

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On November 30, 2023, Akio Takeuchi, our founder, was inducted into the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Hall of Fame during AEM’s Annual Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A few months past his 90th birthday, Mr. Takeuchi traveled all the way from Japan to receive this very well-deserved honor for a lifetime of innovation and achievement. In fact, he is the first person from Asia to be inducted into the AEM Hall of Fame.

Since 2008, the AEM Hall of Fame has honored pioneering individuals who have invented, managed, built and led the off-road equipment industry. Individually and collectively, they represent some of the best, brightest and most influential minds in the history of the off-road equipment industry. Certainly, this describes Mr. Takeuchi and all his accomplishments over the past 60 years.

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In 1963, Mr. Takeuchi founded Takeuchi Manufacturing Co., Ltd. and asked himself, “What problems do my customers have, and how can I help solve those problems?” A few years later, a local business partner and builder asked him to develop a machine that would help his employees do their jobs faster, easier and with less manual labor. The result was the world’s first compact excavator. Takeuchi’s desire to keep innovating continued in 1980 with the world’s first offset boom, allowing the operator to dig on either side of the machine.

In September 1986, Takeuchi developed the world’s first track loader after Mr. Takeuchi noticed a conventional wheeled skid steer loader getting stuck in the mud, rendering it useless. Today, track loaders have become even more popular than skid steer loaders due to their versatility and ability to work on more treacherous terrain.

That same year, the first use of hydraulic pilot controls allowed for precise operation of the machine and attachments. More recently, Takeuchi met the wave of electrification head on, introducing the new TB20e electric excavator in February 2022.

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To this day, Mr. Takeuchi listens to the ideas and opinions of the people who are closest to the end user. Then, he weighs the pros and cons of their decisions and takes full responsibility for them. One of Takeuchi’s key factors for success is that its employees have always come together to take on new challenges.

Long ago, Mr. Takeuchi established a corporate motto and business philosophy to better share his beliefs with his employees. Both are based on creation, challenge, cooperation and the “TAKEUCHI way,” emphasizing quality, customer satisfaction and environmental sustainability.

“For more than 40 years, Mr. Takeuchi has visited our Research & Development department every day to discuss the ideal Takeuchi machine,” said Hiroshi Yokoyama, Takeuchi’s R & D manager. “He asks us to create new products and services no one else offers. He wants our machines to be more durable and reliable than the competition, with more robust features that can change the way our customers do business.”

Please join all of us at Takeuchi in congratulating Mr. Akio Takeuchi on his induction into the AEM Hall of Fame, in this, his 90th year and the company’s 60th anniversary!