Montagano named president of Kubota Canada

Yannick Montagano (Photo courtesy of Kubota Canada Ltd.)

Tractor and compact equipment distributor Kubota Canada Ltd. has announced that Yannick Montagano will succeed Bob Hickey in the role as president of the company following Hickey’s retirement on June 30.

A 25-year veteran of Canada’s industrial sector, Montagano steps into the role from his current position as Kubota Canada’s vice-president of sales, marketing, service and engineering – a role he’s held since December 2018. Hickey has been working closely with Montagano to ensure an orderly transition in Kubota Canada’s leadership.

“Kubota Canada has cemented itself as one of the country’s premier tractor and compact equipment distributors during our proud 47-year history, and I am thrilled and honoured to have been selected to lead this great company into the future,” said Montagano. “It is crucial that we at Kubota Canada continue to honour our commitment to innovation and to our customers and dealers, both of which remain at the heart of our business.”

Hickey’s retirement comes after a more than 40-year career with Kubota Canada. He first joined the company in 1981 as controller, progressing through a series of leadership positions before stepping into the role of president in 2013. In this time, Hickey contributed to an unprecedented period of growth for Kubota Canada, leaving the company in an incredibly strong position, with over $1 billion in sales projected for 2022.

“I am very proud to have had a lifelong association with such a world class organization,” said Hickey. “Kubota Canada has been such an important factor in my life, and it feels so good to be leaving with the company still at the top of its game. I look forward to watching Yannick and the executive leadership team steer Kubota Canada to continued growth and success.”

This leadership transition comes at a time of substantial investment for Kubota in Canada. The company’s $80 million-plus state-of-the-art corporate office and 500,000 square foot warehouse space in Pickering, Ont., has a grand opening planned for October, and Kubota also recently opened a new 280-acre research and development centre in the state of Georgia to meet the needs of Canadian and American customers.

Kubota Canada Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kubota Corporation, a tractor and heavy equipment manufacturer based in Osaka, Japan.

www.kubota.ca