A DIGGER maker has secured a major coup after bosses chose its North-East plant to oversee production of a new excavator, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Komatsu UK has designed and developed a “gamechanging”

high-reach machine at its factory in Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, which it says will strengthen its position at the forefront of the European construction equipment sector.

The excavator, which is now on the production line, is expected to be the first of three new machines to be made at Birtley this year.

Its arrival comes after the Echo last year revealed the plant had been selected to supply a next generation hybrid excavator, which has been designed to cut fuel use.

Officials say the highreach model will reduce the need for multiple machines during demolition projects, adding it can operate at various heights to tackle differing buildings.

Stuart Blackham, design manager for demolition products, said the machine reflected the company’s commitment to meeting customer needs and the confidence the firm’s Japanese hierarchy has in its Birtley site.

He said: “There is a desire to continually drive forward improvements and innovation, no matter how well our machines are already performing.

“The new high-reach is an example of how customer feedback, combined with our own invention and innovation, can help create a game-changing machine.

“We are really pleased something that was designed, developed and made in Birtley will be used across Europe.”

Mr Blackham added the excavator has received a National Federation of Building Contractors award for innovation.

Simon Saunders, product manager for Komatsu UK demolition machines, confirmed the business will roll out further models later this year and praised the company’s Birtley workforce, which stands at around 400.

He added: “We have always sought to build leading machines and this is clearly continuing year-on-year.

“The company is making its mark with this fantastic new machine and the Birtley team is at the heart of it.”

Komatsu’s North-East plant celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and officials previously revealed plans to take on 40 staff to maintain its momentum.

The factory has great experience of making thousands of diggers, ranging from 20-tonnes to 80-tonnes.

However, bosses last year told the Echo its hybrid deal represented a significant achievement, with the model fitted with Komatsu’s Intelligent Machine Control (IMC) system for Europe.

They said IMC allows a digger to take control of projects by using satellite navigation to identify its position on the ground and its bucket movements, which cuts production time and reduces the need for secondary checks.