Komatsu Agrees on a Joint Venture Company for the Forklift Truck Distribution Business in Thailand

Komatsu Ltd. (Komatsu, President & CEO: Kunio Noji) has recently agreed with Bangkok Motor Works Co., Ltd. (BMW, President: Phornthep Phornprapha), the partner of its construction and mining equipment and forklift trucks in Thailand, regarding the merger of a distributor of forklift trucks, a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW, and a rental and used equipment company (60% held by BMW and 40% by the Komatsu Group) to establish Bangkok Komatsu Forklift Co., Ltd. (BKF) and plan to commence operations on April 1, 2011.

BKF will engage in sales of new equipment, rental and used equipment businesses and all related service businesses in Thailand. At present, BMW plans to have 60% stake and the Komatsu Group, 40%, in BKF. As a result of the planned reorganization, BMW and Komatsu are determined to promote closer collaboration between the two as distributor and manufacturer and further expand sales and profits of the forklift truck business there.

[Outline of BMW]

Name	Bangkok Motor Works Co., Ltd.
Established	January 7, 1956
Head office	Samutprakarn Province, Thailand
Representative	Phornthep Phornprapha
Capitalized	THB 900 million (approx. JPY 2.4 billion) as of December 31, 2010
Line of business	Holding company of construction, mining and other machinery businesses
No. of employees	20 as of December 31, 2010

[Outline of BKF]

Name	Bangkok Komatsu Forklift Co., Ltd.
Head office	Samutprakarn Province, Thailand
Representative	To be decided.
Capitalized	To be decided (60% by BMW and 40% by the Komatsu Group)
Line of business	Import, sales, rental and used equipment businesses of Komatsu forklift trucks, and all related service businesses in Thailand
No. of employees	approx. 160

(end)

Information in the news releases is current on the date of the announcement and is subject to change without notice.

2011/01/14

No. 0043(2245)
KOMATSU Corporate Communications
TEL: 03(5561)2616