Producing one million Bobcat loaders is not only an unparalleled
industry achievement that has impacted the livelihood of compact
equipment users worldwide; it has also touched the lives of
thousands more who have designed, built and backed generations
of Bobcat loaders for nearly 60 years.
Bobcat Company marked this tremendous milestone with
a formal ceremony on July 12, sharing the occasion with its
valued employees and the community of Gwinner, N.D., home to
Bobcat's primary production facility. The company also celebrated
with family members of those who invented the original loader,
perfected the design, brought it to market and created the brand
five decades ago. Past organizational leaders and hundreds of
others who have been part of the Bobcat success story were also
present at the event.
The ceremony was held at the Gwinner factory, and featured
remarks from Rich Goldsbury, president of Bobcat and Doosan
(parent company of Bobcat) for North America; Gwinner Mayor
Dan McKeever; North Dakota Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley; North
Dakota Sen. John Hoeven; and North Dakota Congressman
Kevin Cramer. Sylvan Melroe, one of the organization's first
marketing managers, talked about the perseverance of the
Melroe family, who owned Melroe Manufacturing, and built
the first Bobcat loaders. He reflected upon the early days of the
loader — as it transitioned from the original three-wheeled
version to the skid-steer loader we know today — and how
Melroe Manufacturing improved the design that became
increasingly tested by challenging jobs the more the machine
grew in popularity.
Cyril Keller, one of the brothers who invented the original
three-wheeled loader and soon after partnered with Melroe
Manufacturing, was on-hand as well.
The ceremony culminated with a product line roll-off of a
Special Edition One-Millionth Bobcat Loader, which Bobcat is
selling in limited quantities through authorized dealers.
"This entire celebration is about much more than a
single loader, the actual millionth machine," said Goldsbury.
30 October 2014 Landscape and Irrigation www.landscapeirrigation.com
Milestone Series Special
Bobcat Celebrates Production
of One Millionth Loader
Bobcat Company and Doosan North America President Rich Goldsbury addresses the crowd at the Bobcat Company Millionth Loader Celebration.
Above Left: The millionth Bobcat skid-steer loader rolls off the line and out of the Gwinner factory. Above Right: Two loaders rolled off the line during the Millionth Loader
ceremony: loader number one-million, a skid-steer loader; and loader number one-million-one, a compact track loader version.
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