NPK Construction Equipment celebrates 35 years of business

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 widely popular 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 here 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 their 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 their 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 line in North America. Paus was well-known throughout Europe, Russia, and South America for their 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 their reach to the west coast, NPK Mining Equipment LLC was established in 2018 in Elko, NV. 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, Wisconsin 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 mounted pneumatic hammer, the IPH
• 1972 – Introduction of HPH-series boom mounted hydraulic hammers
• 1975 – Introduction of 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 US
• 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 US
• 1995 – Introduction of M-series material processors with interchangeable jaws sets and D-series demolition grabs
• 1996 – Introduction of GR-series grapples in the US
• 2001 – Introduction of enclosed hammer bracket option in Europe and the US
• 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 Japan and Europe and U-series concrete crushers in Europe and the US
• 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 US
• 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 autolubes in the US
• 2013 – Introduction of G-series small concrete crushers
• 2015 – Introduction of small K-series demolition shears in the US
• 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 US
• 2018 – Introduction of dust suppression kits for PH-series hammers in the US

NPK Companies Today
The “NPK” trademark has become a symbol for quality products worldwide and a fundamental dedication to product support allows NPK to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction across the globe. NPK facilities around the world are filled with employees that strive to exceed customer expectations every day.

NPK is a global first-class attachment manufacturer with over 800 employees worldwide; 250 of which are in North America. The dealer network in North and South America consists of over 525 locations to serve our NPKCE and Genesis customers. NPKCE, in partnership with the Genesis team, continues to expand into new markets and develop new products to maintain our position as an industry leader.

NPK worldwide focuses on keeping manufacturing and production “in the family”. This in-house focus means all production and quality control continue to be held to the very highest of NPK standards. Global collaboration among all NPK companies – Nippon Pneumatic Manufacturing Co. Ltd of Japan, NPK Europe B.V., NPK Middle East FZE, NPK Construction Equipment and Genesis Attachments LLC of the US – amounts to continuous improvement across the board. The sharing of ideas and manufacturing capacity leads to better-quality designs, improved production times, high quality products, and unmatched customer satisfaction.

All top brackets, hammer brackets, plate compactors, sheet pile drivers, pedestal boom systems, hardcar unloaders, and material handling systems are designed, manufactured, and assembled at NPKCE in Walton Hills, Ohio. All NPK hammer power cells, concrete crushers, material processors, demolition shears, and pneumatic hammers are manufactured at NPK Japan. However power cells (size GH7 and smaller) and the latest “A” style crusher models are now being assembled at NPKCE for distribution in the west. Demolition grabs are manufactured at NPK Europa. Genesis products are designed, manufactured, and assembled in Superior, Wisconsin. Every NPK product is designed with high productivity and durability in mind.

Although NPK has been around for nearly 100 years, the past 35 years have been incredible for us at NPKCE. Our dependable and hardworking employees are our biggest asset by far. Dedication and commitment to customers and dealers is what has set NPK apart from the rest of the competition. Our staff’s responsiveness and commitment to excellence is unmatched in the industry. NPK also would not have sustained the growth and success throughout the company’s history without our incredible network of dealers and loyal & dedicated customers. Thank all of you who have supported us over the last 35 years; we look forward to what the next 35 will bring!