en.Wedoany.com Reported - Hitachi Construction Machinery (Hitachi Construction Machinery, planning to rename to LANDCROS in April 2027) established Hitachi Construction Machinery Latin America SpA on April 1, 2025, headquartered in Santiago, Chile, to consolidate existing operations in the region and expand into regional markets. Previously, Latin American operations were managed by Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas, based in Newnan, Georgia, USA, and earlier through a joint venture with Deere & Company (John Deere), which was terminated in 2022.

In June 2026, Tetsuya Kitagawa, President and CEO of Hitachi Construction Machinery Latin America, outlined the company's vision and strategic path in Latin America during an exclusive interview. Kitagawa stated that the company is committed to becoming a solution provider and the most trusted partner for customers, while fostering a corporate culture centered on safety and compliance, with a goal of achieving 150 billion yen in revenue by fiscal year 2030.

Regarding the decision to base headquarters in Chile, Kitagawa noted that Chile offers a favorable business environment and tax system, making it a stable and secure investment destination. The country has a mature vocational education system in the mining and construction sectors, providing an ample supply of highly skilled talent. Additionally, many customers have their Latin American regional headquarters in Chile, and dump trucks, a core product category for the company's expansion, are in high demand locally.

Kitagawa explained that mining operations are the top priority for Hitachi Construction Machinery in Latin America. Since the company's establishment, it has visited 40 mining customers on-site, who have welcomed Hitachi Construction Machinery's entry into the market, viewing it as an addition of a high-quality supplier. Hydraulic excavators designed for high-altitude conditions have received positive market feedback, and the company will leverage this as a core pillar for market expansion. In the dump truck segment, competition is more intense, requiring the company to strengthen its full-chain service capabilities, including parts supply, to boost sales.

Currently, the large rigid dump truck market in Latin America is dominated by Caterpillar and Komatsu. Kitagawa believes that having more supplier options in the market is beneficial for healthy development, including international manufacturers like Hitachi Construction Machinery and Liebherr, as well as Chinese OEMs such as XCMG and SANY. Wide-body dump trucks are also gradually penetrating the market, covering diesel, pure electric, and hybrid powertrain technologies, with representative manufacturers including Shaanxi Tonly Heavy Industries and Lingong Heavy Machinery.

Hitachi Construction Machinery's core goal for fiscal year 2026 is to expand machine sales and lay the foundation for subsequent growth in parts and service businesses. Specific initiatives include planning the construction of parts warehousing centers and training and demonstration centers, scheduled to be operational from fiscal year 2027 onwards, with a focus on establishing remanufactured parts supply bases in Argentina and Chile. Kitagawa stated that the company will implement a total solutions strategy, integrating products and services from group companies such as Bradken, H-E Parts, and Wenco, with the aim of increasing market share in mining excavators from 26% in 2024 to 30% by 2028, and dump trucks from 4% to 18%.

Kitagawa added that although Hitachi Construction Machinery is a latecomer to the Latin American market, product quality is a core advantage. Recently, thanks to high customer recognition, the company has secured large-scale mining equipment orders in Peru and Chile—markets where order sizes were previously limited. To consolidate and amplify this advantage, the company will continue to strengthen its value chain operations and promote collaboration with external partners, embodying the LANDCROS brand philosophy as a solution provider to achieve growth in Latin America.

In terms of regional deployment, ZAMine Brasil, a joint venture between Hitachi Construction Machinery and Marubeni Corporation, began operations in March 2025. That same year, EH4000AC-3 mining trucks and EX2600-7 mining excavators were delivered to the Minas Rio iron ore mine in Minas Gerais, Brazil, operated by Anglo American. In Peru, Hitachi Construction Machinery's large mining excavators have been deployed at mines such as Yanacocha, Justa, and Antamina, and the company plans to deliver its first EX8000 excavators in Latin America, with two units destined for a copper mine in Peru. The mining truck market in Peru also offers growth potential. A sales and service outlet in Argentina opened in April 2026, and a facility in Mexico is planned to be operational within fiscal year 2026. A new parts warehousing center supporting operations across Latin America will be launched in Miami in April 2027.

In Chile, Hitachi Construction Machinery continues to invest, with plans to build a new training and demonstration center in Santiago and a major overhaul and refurbishment base in Antofagasta, both scheduled to be operational by fiscal year 2027 (i.e., by the end of March 2028). Thiess has been awarded a mining services contract for the Centinela copper mine owned by Antofagasta Minerals and has signed an equipment lease agreement with Hitachi dealer ZAMine Service Chile, including 5 EH4000AC-3 trucks and 1 EX5600-7 hydraulic excavator, which are currently in operation. Hitachi Construction Machinery recently expanded its customer base in Chile with a second core client, Capstone Copper, which has deployed a fleet including 1 EX5600-7 hydraulic excavator and 6 EH4000AC-3 trucks at the Mantoverde copper-gold mine, purchased directly from Hitachi Construction Machinery. The Mantoverde copper-gold mine is located in the Atacama region of Chile, with Capstone Copper holding a 70% stake and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation holding 30%. The mine has added a new high-grade sulfide ore processing line with a capacity of 32,000 tons per day through the Mantoverde Development Project (MVDP) and is advancing the Mantoverde Optimization Project (MV-O) for expansion, which is under construction and expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2026; by early 2027, sulfide ore processing capacity will gradually increase to 45,000 tons per day.

In terms of product deployment, Hitachi Construction Machinery is advancing sensor-based autonomous operation, remote control, semi-automation solutions, and mine autonomous haulage systems (AHS), including Hitachi's own mature commercial AHS solution. The company recently announced a global strategic partnership with Pronto, a cross-OEM autonomous driving technology company, to jointly promote automation solutions for open-pit mines. In the electrification field, Hitachi Construction Machinery is expanding its electric mining equipment product lineup, accelerating demonstration runs and market promotion for pure electric and hybrid dump trucks. The full range of excavators up to the EX8000 model is available in cable-powered versions. In Latin America, the potential for trolley assist applications is significant, as evidenced by trolley projects at Collahuasi and Los Pelambres. Hitachi Construction Machinery's experience with the EH4000 battery truck, which has been deployed in a trolley assist scenario in Zambia, will form a core advantage. The EH4000 hybrid truck project is progressing, with testing planned to begin in 2027 at Exxaro Resources' Grootegeluk mine in South Africa.