Kubota Corporation · Osaka Japan ·(NYSE: KUB)(Tokyo: 6326)

Kubota is an old hand when it comes to turning Japanese soil. The Osaka-based company, which dates to 1890, is Japan's top maker of tractors and farm equipment such as rice transplanters and combine harvesters. It also leads the nation in the production of iron ductile pipe used in water-supply systems. Kubota, a diversified enterprise, makes industrial castings (ductile tunnel segments), PVC pipe, building materials (siding, cement roofing, and prefabricated houses), waste-recycling plants, and agricultural and industrial engines. In addition, the company builds water and sewage treatment plants, and it makes vending machines for cigarettes and beverages. Kubota gets half of its sales in Japan. To read the full description, subscribe now.