Yannick Montagano succeeds retiring Bob Hickey as president of Kubota Canada Ltd.
By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com;
Kubota Canada Ltd. has a new president—Yannick Montagano, who succeeds the retiring Bob Hickey who led the tractor and compact equipment company since 2013.
Montagano is a 25-year veteran of Canada’s industrial sector, moving from his role of Kubota Canada Vice President of Sales, Marketing, Service and Engineering, which he has held since 2018.
“Kubota Canada has cemented itself as one of the country’s premier tractor and compact equipment distributors during our proud 47-year history, and I am thrilled and honored to have been selected to lead this great company into the future,” said Montagano. “It is crucial that we at Kubota Canada continue to honour our commitment to innovation and to our customers and dealers, both of which remain at the heart of our business. I look forward to working with the rest of the executive team as we continue to build on the exceptional growth Kubota Canada has seen under Bob’s guidance.”
The retiring Hickey worked over 40 years with Kubota Canada—joined in 1981 as a controller before moving up to president. He contributed to an unprecedented period of growth for the company, leaving it in an incredibly strong position, with over $1 billion in sales projected for 2022.
“I am very proud to have had a lifelong association with such a world-class organization,” said Hickey. “Kubota Canada has been such an important factor in my life, and it feels so good to be leaving with the company still at the top of its game. I look forward to watching Yannick and the executive leadership team steer Kubota Canada to continued growth and success.”
This leadership transition comes at a time of substantial investment for Kubota in Canada, including over $80 million for a new state-of-the-art corporate office and 500,000 square foot warehouse space in Pickering, Ontario. The grand opening of the facility is set for October 2022.
Kubota also recently opened a new 280-acre Research and Development Centre in the state of Georgia for its US and Canadian customers. The US$85-million investment by Kubota is 100 percent powered by renewable energy and was built on the sustainable principles that are in keeping with the company’s global mission to use technology and efficient operations and practices.
Kubota Canada is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kubota Corporation, a tractor and heavy equipment manufacturer based in Osaka, Japan. Kubota Canada markets and distributes Kubota engineered and manufactured machinery and equipment, including a complete line of tractors of up to 200 Gross HP, performance-matched implements, compact construction, commercial turf and landscaping products, utility vehicles, and consumer lawn and garden equipment.
Kubota Canada is also the Canadian distributor for Great Plains, Kverneland, and Land Pride products, all of which are also wholly owned subsidiaries of Kubota Corporation.
Company information is available at www.kubota.ca.