19,900 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Excavators to be produced in North America in 2021.
This information comes from industry interviews and from two proprietary databases maintained by Power Systems Research: EnginLink™ , which provides information on engines, and OE Link™, a database of equipment manufacturers.
Market Share: With combined plant totals of 47.5% Caterpillar leads in production of excavators in North America. In second position is Doosan Bobcat with 22%; third, is Deere-Hitachi with 14.5%.
Exports: Collectively, up to 30% worldwide.
Trends: Excavators are heavy pieces of equipment designed for large scale projects for a variety of sectors that include construction, mining, and industrial activities. Despite the recent lull in production, excavators are a popular device for construction activities.
Production of excavators in North America decreased 9% in 2020, largely because the global pandemic made 2020 challenging across most industries. The off-highway segments (agricultural, construction and industrial) saw dramatic production drops in 2020 compared to 2019.
Another factor in the recent decline is the fact that purchasers are choosing backhoe loaders that are more versatile than excavators. Expect production to gain an additional 3% by 2025.
As fabrication has resumed, assembly is back on track for 2021 with an expected gain of 9% from last year to a total of about 19,900 units.
One example of the rebound: Doosan Bobcat North America, a global leader in the compact equipment industry, is celebrated the completion of a $26 million expansion at its manufacturing facility in Litchfield, Minn., in Q2 2021. The 15-month project nearly tripled the size of the facility, from 70,000 square feet of office and manufacturing space to nearly 200,000 square feet. PSR
Carol Turner is Senior Analyst, Global Operations, for Power Systems Research
