Through the 1930s, Komatsu also produced tractors for the Japanese military, as well as bulldozers, tanks and howitzers.

After World War II, under its new president Yoshinari Kawai, Komatsu added non-military bulldozers and forklifts to its line of equipment.

[2] Its growth as a company was aided by the strong demand for its bulldozers during Japan's post-war reconstruction in the 1950s.

[4] Expansion overseas was a major focus in the 1970s, with Komatsu America Corporation being established in February 1970 in the United States.

[7] In the 1980s, Komatsu and International Harvester of the United States had a joint venture to produce compact tractors called KIMCO.

To prevent brand-name confusion during these corporate changes, the name "Haulpak" was used for the product line Komatsu began with Dresser.

The name Haulpak was an industry term that eventually became applied to any type of rear dump truck.

[5] The 2000s saw Komatsu working with The Linde Group of Germany for sales and manufacturing of lift trucks.

In 2001, Komatsu established GALEO as a new brand of new-generation construction equipment for worldwide distribution.

Joy Global was the reorganized and recapitalized entity of Harnischfeger Industries of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US.

Harnischfeger Industries was a holding company that consisted of Joy Manufacturing Co., of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a maker of underground coal mining equipment; P&H Mining Equipment, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a maker of large open pit mining equipment which includes electric rope shovels, blast hole drills and draglines, P&H MinePro Services, a product support entity that provides parts and service support for all types and makes of open pit and underground mining equipment, LeTourneau Manufacturing of Longview, Texas, a maker of large rubber tired wheel loaders.

The acquisition was completed in April 2017, operating as separate subsidiary with the US headquarters located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US and renamed Komatsu Mining Corp.

They cited the shrinking Japanese defense budget, poor performance, restrictions on exporting Komatsu-made military vehicles, heavy competition with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and lack of synergy with its other businesses.

[14] In December 2022, it was announced Komatsu had acquired the Gelsenkirchen-headquartered manufacturer of underground mining, tunnelling and special civil engineering equipment, GHH Group GmbH.

[15] In November 2023, Komatsu announced the acquisition of American Battery Solutions to accelerate equipment electrification.