Appointed distributor for Komatsu

The Maltese company International Machinery Limited has been appointed distributor for Komatsu, one of the world's largest manufacturers of construction and utility equipment.

Senior representatives from the Japanese company, including chairman Toshitaka Hagiwara and group chief executive Yoshinori Komamura, were in Malta to meet International Machinery director Attilio Vassallo Cesareo.

International Machinery landed the deal against stiff competition from other foreign companies and Mr Komamura said they were impressed with the local company.

"Quality is our top priority and our goal is to keep our customer happy. Choosing a distributor who can achieve these two is not easy, but we are very happy with International Machinery," he said.

Mr Vassallo Cesareo said that the company had already ordered two machines, which can be used for construction work and these were set to arrive in Malta this week.

International Machinery, founded in 1977, was set up to deal in heavy machinery and construction equipment and today it is the official distributor for some of the most prestigious American, European, and now Japanese, names in the engineering field.

The company has yearly maintenance contracts for equipment used at the Malta Drydocks and the Malta Freeport, among other service contracts.

Established in 1921, Komatsu is a diversified provider of industrial products and services.

The Japanese delegation, which left Malta yesterday, lunched at the Casino Maltese, in Valletta, to see the plaque commemorating the visit of Japan's longest-reigning monarch, Emperor Hirohito, in April 1921, who died in 1989 at the age of 87.