Speaking of OPE OEMs, Bobcat Company just completed its Statesville, North Carolina, manufacturing facility expansion. After a ceremonial ribbon cutting attended by company leaders, employees and community members, the massive plant was online. The $70 million investment makes Statesville Bobcat’s largest manufacturing facility in North America.
“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 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 fourteen months to complete.
The 600,000-square-foot expansion increased the footprint to more than 1 million square feet on a more than 150-acre campus, located in 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.
The expansion adds space for manufacturing and warehousing. However other highlights include an R&D center; automated paint line; parts control and storage; shipping and receiving docks and even open-air space for product testing. 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.
The Statesville location also produces compact tractors, generators, light towers and air compressors and will continue to add hundreds of additional jobs in the area for the next five years, while eliminating many supply chain SNAFUs.