Customer’s focus on one construction machine leads to high efficiency operation
When most people think of waste, they think garbage; but for Caterpillar’s customer, Takatoshi Kogyo, they think opportunity. Takatoshi Kogyo is a recycling facility for construction and demolition wastes in the Tokyo Metropolitan area.
Recently, Group President Rich Lavin, recently retired Caterpillar Japan Ltd (CJL) Vice President Ali Bahaj, Japan Country Manager Noriyuki Takeuchi and Group Financial Officer Mark Thompson visited the Takatoshi Kogyo facility, also called the Tokyo Waterfront Eco Plant, in Tokyo, Japan.
“I was extremely impressed with their technological innovation and pursuit of sustainability as a business and social imperative,” says Lavin of the operation that has been recognized for its sustainability efforts by the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government. “We are proud to see our machines working in an operation committed to sustainable development.”
Takatoshi recycles more than 25 million tons of waste per year, which is nearly 8 percent of Tokoyo’s waste. They do this using no other machine than Cat® equipment. According to the company’s President and CEO, Toshimi Takahashi, “Cat is the only construction machine.”
The facility runs 22 Cat® machines a day to run this high efficiency operation. All of the machines have been modified by Caterpillar to prevent the radiators from clogging and overheating due to powder dust.
According to Takeuchi, not only is the company focused on the environment, but they also focus a lot of attention on the health and well being of their employees. They constructed a 10-meter high windbreak wall around their facility to care for the surrounding environment and equipped the facility with a high performance dust filter to protect the health of the staff. That facility has been injury free for more than 18 months.
“Caterpillar is proud to be the exclusive construction equipment supplier to Takatoshi Kogyo and to contribute to their successful sustainable development business,” says Bahaj. “Our 22 machines that operate daily in Takatoshi Kogyo's construction waste recycling plant have played a critical role in the success and growth of their business, as well as in improving the environment around the Tokyo area.”
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