LITCHFIELD, MN—Doosan Bobcat announced a $26 million expansion that will triple the workforce and size of the manufacturing plant.
Mike Ballweber, president of Doosan Bobcat North America based in West Fargo, North Dakota, said expansions like the one in Litchfield will help the company meet the future needs of Bobcat dealers and customers.
“We have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Litchfield community and appreciate the continued support of the folks there," says Ballweber.
When the project is completed in September of 2020, the facility will be expanded to nearly 200,000 square feet, which will more than triple the size of the current footprint.
The project includes modernizing the existing production facility by adding new paint lines, a climate-controlled environment and assembly line upgrades. The Litchfield plant currently manufactures attachments for Doosan Bobcat loaders and excavators for the North American market.
The expanded facility is expected to triple its workforce, from the current 100 employees to an expected 300 full-time employees. The size of the investment Doosan Bobcat is making sends a strong signal that the company intends to be in town for a long time.
Litchfield Mayor Keith Johnson said the expansion also means the town could expect an influx of new employees who may want to move there or commute to town, which he said will bring new economic, social and community service opportunities to Litchfield.
The announcement about the Litchfield expansion coincides with the official opening this week of Doosan Bobcat’s nearly $2 million investment in a new Global Collaboration Center in downtown Minneapolis.
“These investments demonstrate our commitment to our presence in Minnesota, which is a major manufacturing hub and now a center for our global operations,” says Scott Park, chief executive officer and president of Doosan Bobcat. “We are proud to continually expand our compact equipment line to help empower our customers to accomplish more.”
Recently, the company announced a $17 million investment in Gwinner, North Dakota, and an $11 million investment in Statesville, North Carolina, as part of the company’s long-term strategic growth initiatives in the compact equipment industry and its long-term commitment to employees and communities.
