Due to a marked decrease over the last five years in the TBM market (up to 30% drop to $700m in 1999) TBM equipment manufacturers Hitachi Zosen Corporation and Hitachi Construction Machinery Company have combined forces.
The move comes as a bid to minimise costs and maximise profitability. In 1999 Hitachi Zosen Corporation reported sales of $100m and Hitachi Construction Machinery Company reported sales of $85m jointly accounting for 25% of 1999’s world TBM sales.This was reported as still being insufficient for the companies to break even leading to the joint decision to combine skills and resources.
