Tadano

Foundation

“We want to deliver something that will contribute to the world.”
The foundation in 1919, when the founder of Tadano left Takamatsu for, Hokkaido, is the start of Tadano Ltd.
However, there were various challenges and trials and errors until we made the start as a crane manufacturer.

1919Masuo starts a welding company in Hokkaido.

Masuo Tadano, the founder of Tadano left Takamatsu for Asahikawa, Hokkaido, to start a welding business.
That day, August 29, 1919, is the day we refer to as the date of our foundation.
At that time, welding technology was gaining ground and developing rapidly outside of Japan, and its introduction in Japan was only beginning.
Captivated by the sparks of welding, Masuo Tadano was convinced that the technology would make a positive contribution to society and ventured to start a business in Hokkaido.
(Second from the left: Masuo Tadano.)

 

1931

Completes cylindrical sawing machine for keg production as the first production machine.

1945

Household effects and factory are destroyed by air raids.

1947

Produces roof tile manufacturing machine.

 

1948

Tadano Iron Works Co., Ltd. is established in Takamatsu, Japan by Masuo Tadano, who serves the first company president.

 

Produces oil extracting machine.

 

1950

Invents railroad track maintenance machine, obtains patent and begins its production for delivery to Japan National Railways.

 

1952

Receives high reputation for the simplified railroad tie adjustment machine.

 

1954

Starts development of hydraulic industrial machines.
Completes the first dump truck.

 

TADANO HISTORY1955 – 1988

Development of Cranes

Since its founding, Tadano Iron Works Co., Ltd. has honed its technology through various challenges and trials and errors.
We started our journey as a crane manufacturer that can be called ‘The history of the crane is Tadano’s history’ after introducing Japan’s first hydraulic truck crane.

1955

Tadano introduces Japan's first hydraulic truck crane, the OC-2, with a 2-ton lifting capacity.

Since its founding, Tadano Iron Works Co., Ltd. has honed welding and hydraulic technology while trying to develop various, unique products. In 1955, the original hydraulic truck crane, the OC-2, was developed with hints from construction machinery magazine. The OC-2, introduced to the Japanese market for the first time, received many orders from customers throughout Japan, leading up to our first step as a crane manufacturer.

 

1957

Exhibits the fully hydraulic OC-5 truck crane at the Cargo-Handling Machine Exhibition in Osaka.

1959

Relocates head office and main plant to present location in Takamatsu City, Japan.

1960

Delivers company's first hydraulic crane exports (four OC-5 truck cranes) to Indonesia.

 

1961

Defines Sozo (Creation), Hoshi (Contribution), Kyoryoku (Cooperation) as our Corporate Philosophy.

1962

Lists Company's shares on the Second Section of the Osaka Securities Exchange.

1963

Constructs the company's new head office building in Takamatsu, Japan.
Introduces the TM loader cranes series.

 

1964

Introduces the TS truck crane series (mounted on conventional trucks).

1966

Introduces the TL truck crane series (mounted on specially designed carriers).

1970

Introduces Japan's first hydraulic rough terrain crane, the TR-150, with a 15-ton lifting capacity.

1971

Introduces the TG truck crane series.

 

Lists Company's shares on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

1972

Develops the AML, Japan's first moment load indicator (a safety device for preventing crane overload).

Lists Company's shares on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Osaka Securities Exchange.

1973

Establishes the company's first overseas subsidiary, Tadano International (Europe) B.V. in the Netherlands.

1980

Constructs and begins production at Shido Plant in Sanuki City, Japan.
Introduces the Z loaders crane series.

1983

Introduces Tadano's first aerial work platforms (the AT-136TE and AT-140TE, insulated for electrical development applications).

1984

Establishes the Beijing Representative Office in China.

1987

Constructs the Tadano Ryogoku Building, the company's sales headquarters in Tokyo.

TADANO HISTORY1989 – 2007

Change of Corporate Name:
10 Years of Drastic Changes

Tadano Iron Works Co., Ltd. changed corporate name to Tadano Ltd. when the bubble economy was booming in Japan.
The eras we experienced both glory and drastic changes can be called a big turning point as a new company.

1989

Changes corporate name to Tadano Ltd.

1990

Acquires FAUN AG (currently Tadano Faun GmbH), a German crane and specialized vehicle manufacturer.

Tadano Group’s consolidated net sales reach 100 billion yen for the first time (financial results of fiscal year 1989).

1991

Begins Moai Statue Restoration Project at Ahu Tongariki on Easter Island (Tadano's part in the project is completed in August 1993).

"If we had a crane, we could right the Moai statues." Those words set in motion the Moai Restoration Project, which, since it began in 1991, has raised 15 Moai statues fallen by tsunami and tribal conflict in cooperation with Chile’s government, navy, archaeologists and islanders.
Our relationship with the island continues through their lives with Tadano cranes.

 

Introduces world’s first loader crane, MOMOCO, which features hook stowing device.

1992

Introduces the AR all terrain crane series.

 

1993

Establishes Tadano America Corporation in Texas, USA.

1995

Introduces the CREVO rough terrain crane series.

 

Introduces the BT bridge checker series.

 

1996

Establishes Tadano-Multico (S.E. Asia) Pte Ltd. (currently Tadano Asia Pte. Ltd.) in Singapore.

1997

Constructs the Technical Research Center in Takamatsu, Japan.

 

1998

Introduces the AR-5500M, the largest-capacity all terrain crane made anywhere in Japan, with a 550-ton lifting capacity.

Since Japan’s first hydraulic truck crane was introduced, various products including rough terrain cranes, all terrain cranes, loader cranes and aerial work platforms have been developed under Tadano’s aspiration of “We want to deliver something that will contribute to the world.”

 

Receives an award from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Machine Industry for the development of high-performance aerial work platforms using fuzzy control.

1999

Starts developing and selling environment-related products, including gypsum board sorting machine, seawater desalination equipment, etc.

(The company withdrew from this business in 2008.)

1998-2001

Implements layoffs in fiscal year 1998, 1999, and 2001.

2003

Establishes the Tadano Middle East Representative Office in Dubai, UAE.

2004

Largest product recall:
approximately 16,000 units of rough terrain cranes

In 2004, a fatal accident caused by Tadano rough terrain crane occurs in Okayama due to its safety device not working for some reason. Tadano issued a product recall for 15,278 units (8 types and 16 models) in December. Recognizing that our cranes being allowed on public roads is a privilege that comes with a great responsibility, we began to devote our efforts to our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Introduces ATF all terrain crane global series (ATF 110G-5, ATF 160G-5).

2007

Constructs and begins production at the Tadotsu Plant in Tadotsu-cho, Kagawa Prefecture in order to expand production of loader cranes.

 

TADANO HISTORY2008 –

Return to Our Roots:
Second Foundation Moving Forward to Become No.1 Worldwide in the Lifting Equipment Industry

Since celebrating its 60th anniversary of the establishment, we set ‘Lifting Equipment’ as our business domain, aiming to become No.1 worldwide in the lifting equipment industry.
Facing the era of complicated, rapid, and extreme changes, we are committed to pursuing further excellence for the world and the future.

2008

Sets ‘Lifting Equipment’ as our business domain.

Constructs and begins production at the Chiba Plant in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

 

Establishes Tadano Faun Stahlbau GmbH in Germany.

Acquires US-based telescopic crawler crane manufacturer SpanDeck Inc. (currently Tadano Mantis Corporation).

2010

Establishes Tadano Oceania Pty Ltd in Australia.

2011

Establishes Tadano Brasil Equipamentos de Elevacao Ltda. in Brazil.

2012

Establishes Tadano (Thailand) Co., Ltd. in Thailand for making loader cranes designed for developing country markets.

As the Group products become active worldwide, we are establishing the global production network. Since the acquisition of FAUN AG (Germany) in 1990, Tadano has established production bases in the United States in 2008, in Thailand in 2012, and in India in 2018. We are expanding our Monozukuri culture cultivated in Japan by implementing our core values of safety, quality, and efficiency.

 

Establishes Tadano (Beijing) Ltd. in China.

Establishes Tadano India Pvt. Ltd. in India.

2013

Introduces the GR-1600XL (GR-1450EX), a rough terrain crane that boasts the highest lifting capacity in class worldwide.

2014

Acquires Cranes UK Ltd, a distributor in the United Kingdom (currently Tadano UK Ltd).

2015

Tadano Group’s consolidated net sales reach 200 billion yen for the first time (financial results of fiscal year 2014 to 2015).

2016

Establishes Tadano France SAS in France.

2017

Establishes Tadano Italthai Co., Ltd. in Thailand.

Establishes the Tadano Group Mid-Term Management Plan (17-19).

2018

Acquires Waterland Trading B.V. in the Netherlands (currently Tadano Nederland B.V.) and Waterland Trading B.V.B.A. in Belgium (currently Tadano Belgium B.V.B.A.) .

Establishes Tadano Chile SpA and begins operations in Chile.

Establishes Tadano Moscow Representative Office in Russia.

Makes strategic minority investment in Manitex International, Inc.

Establishes Tadano Escorts India Pvt. Ltd. in India.

 

2019

Tadano celebrates the 100th anniversary.

Acquires Demag Mobile Cranes Business from Terex Corporation.

Establishes the Tadano Bangkok Representative Office in Thailand.

Constructs and begins production at the Kozai Plant in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan.

 

Products

• Product Lineup

  • All Terrain Cranes

  • Rough Terrain Cranes

  • Truck Cranes

  • Telescopic Boom Crawler Cranes

  • Demag Brand

  • Loader Cranes (Straight Boom Cranes)

  • Loader Cranes (Knuckle Boom Cranes)

  • Aerial Work Platforms

  • Special Purpose Vehicles

• Tadano Used Equipment

• Components

• Worldwide Network

• Procurement

• Product Resources

• Tadano Global News

• Hello-Net Owner's Site