In the highly competitive small engine market that focuses on sales volume for growth, Walbro has concentrated on research and development, believing that very well-designed products will attract loyal customers.
With R&D offices in the Japanese city of Kakuda, Miyagi Prefecture and Cass City in Michigan, Walbro capitalizes on the engineering and manufacturing expertise in those two areas and uses that know-how to produce engines that will meet the future needs of its customers.
“What’s unique with Walbro is that we can look at design and engineering from two cultural points of view. This gives us a unique strength to offer to Japanese and American customers,” said Yukio Goto, Vice President for Global Operations and President of Walbro Japan.
The company’s culture of innovation also demands that it stays abreast of the stringent standards in the U.S.
“One of the keys to our success is to understand and anticipate what’s coming down the pipeline and have our engineers innovate around these developments,” said CEO Matt Riddle.
When Riddle became CEO in 2015, he wanted to strengthen Walbro’s relationships with Japanese companies as they accounted for half of the customer base. He remains resolute in that mission.
“We are your partner through great times and moments of challenge. We have been here for 65 years, and will be here for you for 65 more years and beyond,” he said.
