This report, the first on the subject as part of the European Service, analyses the worldwide activities and performance of IHIMER Spa, with an emphasis on production, sales and distribution of construction equipment in Europe.

Information in this profile is based on IHIMER’s published material and on interviews with IHIMER’s senior management carried out by Off-Highway Research in late 2012 and early 2013.

IHIMER was formed in 2002 through a joint-venture agreement between IHI Construction Machinery Limited, which is controlled by the Japanese conglomerate IHI Corporation, and the Italian IMER Group, a leading European manufacturer of concrete plants and machinery for the construction industry. The joint venture was formed after a period of commercial and industrial co-operation dating back to 1987.

Since the establishment of the joint venture, IHIMER has become a manufacturer of a wide range of construction equipment, with its headquarters in the Italian region of Tuscany. Its initial focus was the assembly and distribution in Europe of mini-excavators. Subsequently, the company has expanded into the design and development of machines, as well as other product areas: in addition to mini excavators, the company is now involved in the production and marketing of skid-steer loaders, tracked dumpers and tracked aerial platforms. At the same time, IHIMER has retained exclusive rights for the distribution throughout Europe and the Mediterranean area for the full range of mini excavators manufactured by IHI in its Yokohama plant in Japan. IHIMER now operates in approximately 35 countries worldwide.

The joint venture agreement was extended in 2012, and central to the renewed agreement were IHIMER’s plans to expand its distribution arrangements to extend beyond Europe, to increase collaboration between Italian and Japanese engineers and to extend the number of models assembled in Italy.