Bobcat Company celebrated the completion of its Statesville, N.C., manufacturing facility expansion with a ceremonial ribbon cutting attended by company leaders, employees and community members.
The $70 million investment makes the location the company's largest manufacturing facility in North America and will add hundreds more jobs in Iredell County over the next five years.
The 600,000-sq.-ft. expansion increased the footprint to more than 1 million sq. ft. on a more than 150-acre campus, located at 1293 Glenway Drive, Statesville, north of Charlotte, N.C.
This investment enables the Statesville operation to also serve as a key manufacturing hub to help meet a growing demand for Bobcat products by increasing production capabilities and efficiency.
"This is a significant day for Bobcat, the Statesville community and our customers as we grow our presence in North Carolina and expand our manufacturing capabilities in the U.S.," said Mike Ballweber, president of Doosan Bobcat North America.
"This investment will not only position us to meet growing customer demand, but it also adds significant job opportunities to benefit the community."
Construction on the project began in July 2021 and took roughly 14 months to complete.
Due to this expansion, up to 250 jobs will be added in the next five years. Since the start of this year, more than one third of these new positions have already been filled, increasing Statesville's current team to nearly 600.
"As one of our community's largest manufacturing companies, we are proud of the commitment Bobcat Company has made not only in its facility growth and job creation, but also in its commitment to economic impact, charitable giving, educational support and community involvement," said City of Statesville Mayor Costi Kutteh, who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony along with other community leaders. "Bobcat is an inspiration and catalyst to each of us as Statesville continues to grow and flourish."
The expansion adds space for manufacturing and warehousing; research and development; an automated paint line; parts control and storage; shipping and receiving docks; open air space for product testing and quality control; additional parking; shipping and delivery entrance; and finished goods inventory storage.
The manufacturing space includes new technology to improve production efficiencies and streamline operations across Bobcat's North American locations.
New factory technology and systems are consistent across the company's North American facilities improving process and design collaboration, as well as simplifying transfer of information.
"It has been exciting to see these additions and enhancements to our facility take shape, and we greatly appreciate the support of our employees, partners, officials and the community during this process," said Doosan Bobcat Portable Power Global Vice President Lance Mathern. "We are ready for the future and look forward to the benefits this expansion brings."
Production of the Bobcat mini track loader (MTL) will shift from the Bismarck, N.D., facility to Statesville by late 2022. The new MTL production lines are designed to produce 35 units per shift, which will mean a new Bobcat MT100 will finish production every 10.8 minutes.
Additionally, the Bobcat compact tractor line has been assembled in Statesville since its launch in 2019, and will continue to be assembled in this facility, thus growing the company's grounds maintenance equipment production at this site. The Statesville location also produces generators, light towers and air compressors.
In addition to its operations in Statesville, Bobcat has an extensive presence throughout the United States. The company employs nearly 5,000 people at 13 facilities in seven states. Among its other facilities, Bobcat has engineering, research and development centers in North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Arizona; a training facility in Colorado; and manufacturing facilities in North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Carolina.
"Our growth is rooted in our legacy as the inventor of the compact equipment industry and fueled by our drive to continue redefining the industry through groundbreaking innovation and a focus on customer experience," Ballweber added.
For more information, visit bobcat.com.
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