Three barrels of sake were broken during an international affair and grand opening at the Great Plains Manufacturing construction equipment facility in Salina Friday.

Dignitaries including U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, Gov. Laura Kelly, Great Plains President and CEO Linda Salem and executives from the Kubota Corporation, the Japanese parent company of Salina-based Great Plains, joined others on stage for the ceremonial Kagami biraki to "offer good fortune" as the facility celebrated this new chapter.

"A little over two years ago, we announced that we were purchasing this building and established our (construction equipment) division in the Great Plains Manufacturing family," Salem said.

The facility, located at 3861 S. Ninth St., was once the home of the Philips lighting plant, which closed several years ago and will see new life as Great Plains helps meet the demands for Kubota construction equipment, beginning with production of SVL65 compact track loaders.

Building international partnerships in Kansas

This grand opening marked the continued success of Kansas, and Salina, in bringing economic development to the community from partners around the globe.

Yuichi Kitao, president and representative director of Kubota, traveled to Salina from Japan to offer some remarks about the opening of the facility.

"It is a great honor to celebrate the opening of the GPM construction equipment with (other guests)," Kitao said. "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to those who have been involved in launching (this facility)."

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Kelly thanked Kitao, Salem and others from Great Plains and Kubota, including the more than 100 workers from the plant who attended the event.

"It's clear that Great Plains' expansion will have a massive impact on the economy," Kelly said. "In the short term, this plant will create over 150 new jobs and bring in nearly $180 million of capital investment."

The opening marked the end of Phase I of the full project, with further expansion expected in Phase II to be up and running in 2024, adding around 200 more jobs and further plans to grow to more than 900 total employees in the future.

"It's a great day for Salina, it's a great day for Kansas and I am grateful to everyone who made this possible," Kelly said. "To the entire Great Plains and Kubota team, thank you for making these investments in Kansas."

Moran had similar words to say, thanking all those involved in this project. He also offered encouragement for what may come.

"We look forward to the future of Kubota and Great Plains in our state," Moran said.

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Plant manager introduces the machine that will be built in Salina

After the sake barrel breaking and toward the end of the formal ceremony, Christ Montgomery, manager of operations for the facility, started up one of the Kubota SVL65 compact track loaders and drove it in front of the stage to the applause of everyone in attendance.

The track loader has 68.3 horsepower and features easy operation, quick maneuverability and cab comfort − with an easy-open sliding front door. The machine also has a vertical lift arm and a high hinge pin.

This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Japanese tradition included in grand opening of facility in Salina