Bobcat cuts ribbon on large North Carolina plant
Compact equipment maker Bobcat Company recently celebrated the completion of its Statesville, North Carolina, 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, said the firm.
“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.
The 600,000-square-foot expansion increased the footprint to a more than one million-square-foot size on a more than 150-acre campus. Construction on the project began in July 2021 and took roughly 14 months to complete.
The company said 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 investment will not only position us to meet growing customer demand, but it also adds significant job opportunities to benefit the community,” said Ballweber.
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, said Bobcat, 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.
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.
The company said that production of its Bobcat mini track loader (MTL) will shift from the Bismarck, North Dakota, facility to Statesville by late 2022.
Founded in 1947, Bobcat, headquartered in West Fargo, North Dakota, employs nearly 5,000 people at 13 facilities in seven states.