America Just Took Back the Excavator — And Japan Didn't See It Coming

For almost forty years, the excavators working on American job sites were assembled here but designed in Japan. That rule is finally breaking. In this video, I explore how John Deere, Volvo and Caterpillar are bringing the excavator back home, and why it could change how fast contractors get their machines. I break down the four pieces that are reshaping the American excavator industry: • A $70 million John Deere excavator factory in Kernersville, North Carolina, taking over production of machines previously built in Japan • Volvo's first American-built excavators rolling off the line in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania • Caterpillar's $1 billion bet on compact machines in Sanford, North Carolina • The Victoria, Texas plant that first proved excavators could be built in America at scale I also look back at the 1988 Deere-Hitachi partnership, why it ended in 2022, and the one number that explains why the next excavator you rent may never cross an ocean. #heavyequipment #excavator #madeinamerica #construction #johndeere #caterpillar