Dirt Talk by BuildWitt Rod Bull w/ Komatsu – DT 408
Jan 15, 2026
Rod Bull, CEO of Komatsu North America and veteran in the heavy equipment industry, shares insights into the world of mining and construction. He discusses the importance of tailored equipment for specific mines and the pride tied to community impacts in mining towns. Rod emphasizes the blending of Japanese and American cultures at Komatsu, while exploring advancements in autonomy and sustainability. He also reflects on his journey from analyst to CEO and the evolving landscape of mining technology.
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Early Roots In Equipment
- Rod Bull grew up around equipment in Canton and Pekin, Illinois and worked in a lumberyard while attending Eastern Illinois University.
- He joined Caterpillar out of school and chose hands-on industry roles over consultant-type analyst jobs.
Mining Demands Bespoke Relationships
- Mining deals are often one-off and require bespoke configurations, creating deep customer and dealer relationships.
- That complexity forces OEMs to coordinate warranty, parts, and service closely to create customer value.
Uptime Is The Real Commodity
- In mining the economics make uptime paramount, so OEMs must align maintenance and outage planning with customers.
- Coordinated component life balancing minimizes downtime and maximizes production value.
