“We are delighted to start this closer relationship. Japan’s civil tunneling is deeply safety driven, whilst project demands are growing at high speed. The population of Japanese tunnel workers are decreasing, and our local customers appreciate Epiroc’s advanced rigs that provide fast and accurate drilling,” says Koki Sakurai, CEO of Toranomon Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
With its bustling civil tunneling activity, Japan has close to 400 tunneling projects under development, and more than 50 new projects are added annually within its small and isolated land area. The frequent earthquake and volcano activities result in Japan’s complicated and challenging geological conditions. For more than a decade, Toranomon has worked solely with Epiroc equipment, primarily focusing on sales and rental of the technologically advanced and appreciated Boomer face drilling rigs.
“Toranomon’s extensive market expertise, strong position, as well as their high contractor engagement within the tunneling segment, makes this a strategically important partnership for Epiroc” –
The non-exclusive distributor agreement was signed by the end of 2023 and will also provide even better after-market support for Epiroc customers in Japan thanks to Toranomon’s large service organization.
“With this agreement in place, we are proud to offer solutions and services that will improve safety, innovation, and sustainability within the underground civil construction segment. We see great potential in utilizing automation and monitoring technologies to a greater extent in the Japanese tunneling segment, where challenging rock conditions are frequently met,” says Ulf Sundberg, Global Business Development Manager Civil Construction at Epiroc’s Underground division.