We Know of Bobcat, Who is Doosan?

Bobcat: One Tough Animal™

Bobcat Company has well-known machinery that can be seen used all over the world.  Did you know that headquarters for Bobcat is located in West Fargo, North Dakota?  It seems like an odd place to have a headquarters for a large business, but it is near the town where their company first started.  Staying close to their home roots sure has paid off.  Read on to get an over view of the beginnings of Bobcat Company.

According to Bobcat.com retrieved on the 28th of February under their History tab, in 1929, Edward Gideon (E.G.) Melroe from Gwinner, North Dakota invented the windrow pickup on his small farm.  He and his sons opened up a manufacturing plant in Gwinner, North Dakota and mass produced and invented new farm machinery.

After Melroe passed away in 1955, his son Cliff Melroe and his brothers took over the business.  But, what does this history have to do with Bobcat Company? The invention of the three-wheeled loader in 1957 is what started it all.  Keller Brothers, Louis and Cyril, were asked to create a machine that can maneuver and scrape out manure from the second floor of a turkey barn.  The machine created was light, could work in tight spaces, and be used for multiple purposes.  Once the Kellers were introduced to the Melroes, the inventions and business took off at a sprint (Retrieved from https://www.bobcat.com/company-info/history/corporate).

Bobcat Skid-Steer Loader

People mistakenly call a skid-steer loader "a Bobcat" because the brand name is so largely known.  Once the machine has been called "a Bobcat" it is hard to break the habit to start calling the equipment by the correct names.

Flash forward to 2007, Bobcat Company became a component of Doosan Infracore of South Korea. According to Doosan.com, Doosan owns and operates desalination plants, engine manufacturing, industrial machine tools and forklifts.  The four major components of Doosan include: Bobcat Company, Doosan Heavy Equipment, Doosan Portable Power, and Geith (Retived from http://www.doosan.com/en/main.do).

To break it down, Doosan is the parent company of Bobcat and are considered partners.

Visit About Bobcat Company to read more on the leading company in design, manufacturing, and marketing of compact equipment for construction.  Need more of a time line of the company history?  Check out this link to learn more.

Watch a commercial from YouTube that aired in 1966 to demonstrate Bobcat Skid-Steer maneuverability (Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF4X08cEaOU). 

The name is well known, the products are everywhere and it has become an icon in the industry.  Take a look at the equipment Bobcat Company has to offer on their website.

Want to learn more about Doosan?  Read up on their impact to the equipment industry here.