Komatsu Ltd. is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures construction, mining, and military equipment, as well as industrial equipment like press machines, lasers and thermoelectric generators. Its headquarters are at 2-3-6, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The corporation was named after the city of Komatsu, Ishikawa, where the company was founded in 1917. Worldwide, the Komatsu Group consists of Komatsu Ltd. and 182 other companies (146 consolidated subsidiaries and 35 companies accounted for by the equity method).
Komatsu is the world's second largest manufacturer of construction equipment and mining equipment after Caterpillar. However, in some areas (Japan, China), Komatsu has a larger share than Caterpillar. It has manufacturing operations in Japan, Asia, Americas and Europe. Japanese ko matsu means "small pine tree", named after Komatsu city in Ishikawa prefecture.
Komatsu Iron Works was started by Takeuchi Mining Industry as a subsidiary to make industrial tools for the parent company. Komatsu eventually became large enough to sell to the public, and was spun off on May 13, 1921 as Komatsu Ltd.
Komatsu produced its first agricultural tractor prototype in 1931. Through the 1930s, Komatsu also produced military tractors for the Japanese military, as well as bulldozers, tanks and howitzers. After World War II, under its new president Yoshinari Kawai, Komatsu added non-military bulldozers and forklifts to its line of equipment. In 1949 it began production of its first diesel engine.Its growth as a company was aided by the strong demand for its bulldozers during Japan's post-war reconstruction in the 1950s In August 1951 the corporate headquarters were moved to Tokyo. By 1957 the company had advanced technologically to the point that all its models were using Komatsu engines.
In 1964 Rioichi Kawai, son of Yoshinari Kawai, became president of Komatsu, and it began exporting its products, looking to counteract the postwar image of Japanese products as being cheap and poorly made. In July 1967, it entered the U.S. market, taking on Caterpillar , the largest bulldozer maker, in its home market. This was done under the company slogan of "Maru-C", translating into English as "encircle Caterpillar" (from the game of Go (board game), where encircling an opponent results in capture of his territory).
Komatsu's mining products were consolidated under the name Komatsu Mining Systems in 1997. To prevent brand-name confusion during these corporate changes, the name "Haulpak" was used for the product line Komatsu began with Dresser. The name "Haulpak" dates back to 1957 when LeTourneau-Westinghouse introduced a range of rear dump trucks known as "Haulpaks". LeTourneau -Westinghouse equipment later became known simply as WABCO equipment in 1967.
The Komatsu LAV first produced in 2002, is used exclusively by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, and has seen use in the Iraq War.
The exterior resembles the Panhard VBL, used by the French army, but the LAV has 4 doors and a large cabin for carrying soldiers. The Type 82, also known as CCV-82, is a 6x6 high mobility wheeled Command and Communications Vehicle (CCV) developed by Komatsu for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF).