Bobcat Company, a global leader in the compact equipment industry, celebrated the completion of its Statesville 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.
“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.” Mike Ballweber, president of Doosan Bobcat North America, said. “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 the Statesville campus. 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.
Up to 250 jobs will be added in the next five years. Since the start of this year, more than one third of the new positions have 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,” City of Statesville Mayor Costi Kutteh said.
Kutteh was among the community leaders who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“Bobcat is an inspiration and catalyst to each of us as Statesville continues to grow and flourish,” he said.
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 state-of-the-art 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,” Doosan Bobcat Portable Power Global Vice President Lance Mathern said. “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 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 ground maintenance equipment production at this site. The Statesville location also produces generators, light towers and air compressors.
“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.
