Kobelco USA promotes Lumpkins, Folden to key management roles

Updated Nov 17, 2017
George LumpkinsGeorge Lumpkins

Kobelco Construction Machinery USA has promoted George Lumpkins to general manager for product marketing and developing and Ken Folden to national service manager for the excavator division.

Lumpkins brings more than 45 years of industry experience to his new position, most recently as general manager with the Texas-based company. His expertise is in construction equipment sales, service, engineering and as a product specialist.

Lumpkins will work closely with the sales and services departments to spearhead marketing, product development, support and ongoing communications aimed at increasing brand awareness and as Kobelco launches a new phase of growth in North America.

“George’s passion for the industry and tremendous amount of technical experience with Kobelco’s machinery is critical to providing superior product support,” says Pete Morita, vice president of the excavator division. “He will provide exceptional communications to our dealers and we look forward to having his expertise on board in this new position.”

Ken FoldenKen Folden

Folden also brings extensive sales, service and product support expertise to his new position. As national service manager, he will oversee the service department and the support network for both North America and Latin America.

Folden began servicing Kobelco excavators in 1999 and became a service representative in 2004. For the past four years, he’s been the Canadian service manager. He’ll relocate to the company’s U.S. headquarters in Katy, Texas.

Kobelco Construction Machinery USA offers crawler excavators in the 3,000- to 245,000- pound classes including zero tail swing, compact, standard, long-reach, mass excavation and demolition models. In September, the company announced it would manufacture four additional excavator models at its plant in Spartanburg, South