[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 38 (Wednesday, April 6, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H1786-H1787]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            DEERE-HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CORPORATION

  (Ms. FOXX asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, recently I had the opportunity to visit Deere-
Hitachi Construction Machinery Corporation in North Carolina's Fifth 
District. This plant manufactures hydraulic excavators which are used 
widely in the construction industry as earthmoving and utility-type 
tracked digging machines.
  The company is a joint venture between John Deere and Hitachi 
Construction Machinery located in Tokyo, Japan. The company, formed in 
1988, is a rare mix of American and Japanese cultures. This combination 
manifests itself in an extraordinary safety, quality, and delivery 
record.
  As a result, Hitachi has grown significantly in the past 3 years. 
Production volumes of both John Deere and Hitachi-brand models have 
risen to over 6,000 units. This is remarkable given the machines are 12 
to 33 tons in

[[Page H1787]]

operating weight. In addition, employment in the facility has doubled 
in size to over 750 direct employees.
  A portion of this growth has been fueled by the localization of 
models that were formerly produced in Asia to Kernersville, North 
Carolina. This has had a positive impact on the local economy in North 
Carolina, as well as nationally. I am honored to have a facility such 
as Deere-Hitachi located in my district.

                          ____________________