, , , , , , ,

West Milwaukee’s Joy Global Becomes Komatsu Mining

Newly Merged Company Won't Discuss Potential For Layoffs

By
Komatsu
Chuck Quirmbach/WPR

Japanese-owned Komatsu Corporation marked its purchase of a West Milwaukee-based mining equipment company with an elaborate ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday. But Komatsu officials won’t say much about future jobs at the site.

Komatsu finished its $3.7 billion purchase of Joy Global last month. The huge Japanese firm is taking over a longtime Milwaukee-area facility that’s also been known as P&H or Harnischfeger.

Despite some layoffs in recent years, Joy Global still has about 1,000 employees in the metro area.

Stay informed on the latest news

Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Komatsu Mining’s Chief Executive Jeff Dawes won’t say if the employment level will change.

“These kind of mergers always produce some anxiety and concern going forward. But you know, we didn’t buy this company to close it up,” Dawes told reporters Monday.

Dawes said it will take six months to three years before Komatsu fully integrates with Joy Global and sets employment numbers.

Gov. Scott Walker, who attended the ribbon-cutting, was asked by the news media if he’s been given assurances there won’t be layoffs. Walker responded by saying a lot depends on the world mining market.

“I think the quality of both the physical infrastructure, but more importantly the quality of the workforce here is one of the things they see as a remarkable asset. But that’s gonna be largely dependent on what happens on a global basis,” Walker said.

Walker said he’s optimistic emerging countries will do more mining.

Related Stories