Doosan Bobcat Plans $26 Million Litchfield, Minn., Expansion
Doosan Bobcat, a global leader in the compact equipment industry, this week announced plans for a $26 million expansion of its Litchfield, Minn., manufacturing facility. The investment will enable meeting an increased demand for Bobcat’s growing and expanded line of compact equipment and attachments.
The Litchfield announcement coincides with the official opening this week of Doosan Bobcat’s nearly $2 million investment in a new Global Collaboration Center in downtown Minneapolis at 150 South Fifth Street. The center serves as an easily accessible, centralized location where some elements of the company’s global functions work, host global meetings and accelerate innovation.
“These investments demonstrate our commitment to our presence in Minnesota, which is a major manufacturing hub and now a center for our global operations,” said Scott Park, chief executive officer and president of Doosan Bobcat. “We are proud to continually expand our compact equipment line to help empower our customers to accomplish more.”
Located approximately 65 miles west of Minneapolis, Doosan Bobcat’s investment in Litchfield will modernize the existing production facility by adding new paint lines, a climate-controlled environment, assembly line upgrades and more. When completed, the project will more than triple the size of the current footprint and expand the facility to nearly 200,000-square-feet. Once fully operational, the expanded facility is also expected to triple its workforce, from the current 100 employees to an anticipated 300 full-time employees, which will significantly impact the area’s local economy.
Construction is underway, with full completion expected by September 2020. The Litchfield facility has been a part of Doosan Bobcat since 2004, and today manufactures attachments for Doosan Bobcat loaders and excavators for the North American market.
“We have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Litchfield community and appreciate the continued support of the folks there," said Mike Ballweber, president of Doosan Bobcat North America. “Our company will continue to expand our facilities and manufacturing capabilities to allow us to meet the future needs of Bobcat dealers and customers, while continually enhancing excellence across our business.”
Bobcat continues to increase its manufacturing footprint with investments in facilities across North America. Recently, the company announced a $17 million investment in Gwinner, N.D., and an $11 million investment in Statesville, N.C. These efforts are part of Doosan Bobcat’s long-term strategic growth initiatives as a global leader in the compact equipment industry, in addition to demonstrating its long-term commitment to employees and communities.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.