40,000 RTV's

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Guest

Guest
This is amazing considering the competition in this market.</P>


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Two years ago, Kubota entered the utility vehicle market. Utility vehicles can be considered a cross between a golf cart and an all-terrain vehicle. They have proven popular for farms and for use by hunters.


On Friday, the company celebrated as the 40,000th RTV 900, rolled off the assembly line at the company's Ramsey Road factory.


"Kubota was a late entry into this market," said Brian Arnold, director of manufacturing from Kubota Manufacturing of America. "Until December 2003, Kubota had never produced a utility vehicle and all of our competitors had some version of a utility vehicle already on the market. In our very first year, we captured 15 percent of the market."


The RTV 900, which comes in the familiar Kubota orange, as well as a woodsy camouflage design, competes with products such as the John Deere Gator, the Kawasaki Mule and the Toro Twister.


Arnold said that Kubota's reputation for quality tractors made the RTV 900 a quick hit with consumers.


"We used our tractor technology to build a rugged utility vehicle," said Arnold.


The vehicle comes with features such as power steering, automatic transmission and a powerful diesel engine.


During a ceremony held at end of the assembly line, Kubota president Tim Yoshii and former president John Shiraishi cranked the 40,000th unit and drove it down a ramp ending in a ceremonial red carpet.


Dozens of the company's 1,600 employees applauded as the vehicle rolled forward.


Arnold said that 85 percent of the RTVs produced at the Gainesville plant are sold in the U.S. The remaining units are sold primarily in Canada, Europe and Australia.


The base RTV 900, retails for around $10,000. </P>
 

Ricochet

Member
Cool, had did you get this article from our local paper? I guess someone emailed it to you. I liked thecomparison to the Toro 2WD Twister and comment about the automatic transmission. [:^)]
 
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