NPK Construction Equipment Celebrates 35 Years

Tue May 05, 2020 - National Edition
NPK

Nippon Pneumatic Manufacturing Co. Ltd was established in Japan nearly 100 years ago in 1923.

NPK made its start manufacturing air tools then expanded into the productions of chemical processing equipment in 1945. In 1957, the construction equipment division was created, and NPK Japan developed the first boom mounted pneumatic hammer in the world.

Fifteen years later, in 1972, NPK designed and built the first boom mounted hydraulic hammer:the foundation for today's extensive and line of NPK hydraulic hammers.

The NPK brand continued to gain popularity and demand continued to grow across the world.

Over the course of many years, dealers were signed on in every corner of the world, and sales and manufacturing locations opened across Europe, Asia, North America and the Middle East.

1965: The Higashi-Osaka Plant was constructed in Japan for the chemical engineering division and was later renovated in 1970 when it became the home to the construction equipment division.
1978: NPK Europa B.V. was established in Rotterdam, Netherlands, to expand sales channels in the European region.
1985: NPK Construction Equipment (NPKCE) opened in the United States, and an additional manufacturing plant was built in Nabari, Japan, which has been renovated several times since as the company continues to grow.
1995: Shanghai Pneumatic Machinery Co., Ltd. was opened in Shanghai, China to support the pneumatic tool division.
1998: NPK France SA opened in Limoges in order to serve the French market and the North of Africa.
1999: NPK Europe lunched a manufacturing facility in Holland for the production of demo grabs.
2001: NPK Europe Manufacturing S.R.O. was established in the Czech Republic as a production base for NPK Europa.
2005: NPK Middle East FZCO was founded in Dubai, UAE to expand sales channels throughout countries in the region.

NPKCE History

In 1985, with just six employees, NPK Construction Equipment Inc.was opened just outside of Cleveland, Ohio to serve as a distributor of NPK's construction and demolition attachments throughout the western hemisphere.

The NPKCE team worked diligently to promote the NPK brand in the western market where it was not yet widely known. A comprehensive network of dealers was assembled across North and South America by partnering with dealerships of various C&D carrier OEMs that NPK attachments could be fitted to -- many of whom are still loyal distribution partners to this day.

Over the next four years, demand for NPK attachments began to grow at a rate that outpaced production, so in 1989 NPKCE purchased a manufacturing facility to begin producing some components and products in the United States, which upped the employee count to 45.

The company evolved from an importer and distributor into a full-fledged OEM manufacturer.

NPKCE continued to grow by expanding product lines as well as acquiring or expanding on facilities throughout Ohio and into other states as the need arose.

By 2009, NPKCE had grown to over 85 employees spread out among three interrelated buildings all within walking distance of one another to streamline the production process.

In 2013, NPKCE acquired its long-time machining partner, Holmes Manufacturing, increasing the number of employees to over 100. In 2016, an addition was added to the manufacturing facility to expand the unit assembly area as well as add additional space for the machining division to relocate to the building group. This meant that the fabrication, machining, and assembly divisions were all under one roof, making production even more efficient.

NPKCE expended its investments outside of Ohio as well. In 2012, when the company found itself without a dealer to serve customers in Georgia, NPK Demotrax was introduced in Norcross, Ga.

NPK Demotrax served not only as a sales distributor, but also as a service and rental facility for customers throughout the state. In 2018, when a new dealer was signed on for the state of Georgia, the facility was sold as an addition to the three branches the company already had across the state.

Late in 2013, NPKCE entered into a partnership with German mining equipment manufacturer, Hermann Paus Maschinenfabrik to serve as a distributor for Paus's mining vehicle linein North America. Paus was well-known throughout Europe, Russia and South America for its high quality, purpose built mining vehicles and NPKCE had been a supplier of tunneling hammers to Paus for several years.

In 2017, a fourth building was added to the Walton Hills campus to serve the mining division. To expand its reach to the west coast, NPK Mining Equipment LLC was established in 2018 in Elko, Nev. The number of employees grew to over 125.

In 2019, the opportunity arose for yet another acquisition. Genesis Attachments, Genesis GmbH and Genesis Holdings were on the market and NPKCE jumped at the opportunity to obtain an additional attachment company with a reputation for the same drive for customer satisfaction and high-quality manufacturing standards as the NPK group.

Genesis Attachments is located in Superior, Wis., and has been in operation since 1997. Genesis GmbH is a distribution facility located in Memmingen, Germany, and was founded in 2002 to serve the European market.

With over 125 additional employees from Genesis businesses, the employee count for NPKCE companies is now over 250.

NPK Product History

1957: Development and release of the world's first boom mountedpneumatic hammer, the IPH
1972: Introductionof HPH-series boom mounted hydraulic hammers
1975: Introductionof first hydraulic pile drivers/extractors
1976: Introduction of H-series hydraulic hammers
1984: Introduction of first boom mounted concrete crushers equipped with hydraulic booster
1986: Introduction of first shears with hydraulic booster and C-series compactors
1987: Production of C-series compactors begins in the U.S.
1988: Introduction of G-series secondary concrete crushers with hydraulic booster
1990: Introduction of E-series hydraulic hammers with new type of mechanism worldwide and B-series pedestal booms in the U.S.
1995: Introduction of M-series material processors with interchangeable jaws sets and D-series demolition grabs
1996: Introduction of GR-series grapples in the U.S.
2001: Introduction of enclosed hammer bracket optionin Europe and the U.S.
2004: Introduction of GH-series hydraulic hammers worldwide, XYZ concept for renovation in Europe and K-23J steel shear in Japan
2005: Introduction of electromagnet-equipped secondary concrete crushers and clam-shaped shears in Japanand Europe and U-series concrete crushers in Europe and the U.S.
2006: Introduction of XC-series beak-edged primary concrete crushers in Japan and Europe
2008: Introduction of SV-series primary concrete crushers in Japan and Europe and hardcar unloader in the U.S.
2009: Introduction of small K-series demolition shears
2010: Introduction of X-series small primary concrete crushers in Japan and Europe
2012: Introduction of PH-series small hydraulic hammers worldwide, SRC-series for demolition of steel reinforced concrete in Japan, and hammer mounted auto lubes in the U.S.
2013: Introduction of G-series small concret ecrushers
2015: Introduction of small K-series demolition shears in the U.S.
2016: Introduction of PD-series plant demolition crushers in Japan
2017: Introduction of SV-series large crushers in Japan and Europe and D-series demolition grabs and CSD-series sheet pile drivers in the U.S.
2018: Introduction of dust suppression kits for PH-series hammers in the U.S.