Doosan Bobcat

Doosan Bobcat is the compact-construction-equipment business of South Korea's Doosan Group and the owner of the Bobcat brand, one of the most recognizable names in small construction and agricultural machinery. The Bobcat story begins in the United States with the Melroe brothers' Melroe Manufacturing Company, which in the late 1950s introduced the three-wheeled M60 loader and then the four-wheel-drive M440 — the machine that became the skid-steer loader and was marketed under the Bobcat name. The brand's compact, maneuverable loaders became a fixture on farms, construction sites and landscaping jobs around the world. In 2007 the Bobcat business, then part of Ingersoll Rand, was acquired by Doosan Group of South Korea, which combined it with its own compact-equipment operations to form Doosan Bobcat. The company is headquartered in Seoul with major North American operations based in West Fargo, North Dakota, and it manufactures in the United States, Europe and Asia. Doosan Bobcat Inc. is separately listed on the Korea Exchange while remaining controlled by Doosan Group. Doosan Bobcat sells skid-steer loaders, compact track loaders, compact excavators, telehandlers, utility vehicles, small wheel loaders and attachments under the Bobcat brand, along with related parts and service. It also operates the Doosan-branded portable-power and compact-equipment lines in some markets. Its customers are contractors, rental fleets, farmers, landscapers and municipal operators, and the business is positioned as a premium, innovation-led compact-equipment maker with a strong dealer and rental-channel network. In the 2020s the company has invested in electrification and autonomous concepts, showing battery-electric and remote-controlled loaders, and has expanded its compact-excavator and telehandler ranges. It remains one of the largest global players in the compact-equipment niche and a core industrial asset of Doosan Group.

The Bobcat brand traces its origins to the Melroe Manufacturing Company, founded by the Melroe brothers in Gwinner, North Dakota, in the mid-20th century. In the late 1950s the company introduced the M60, a small three-wheeled self-propelled loader, and then worked with inventor brothers Cyril and Louis Keller on a four-wheel-drive design that became the M440. Marketed from the early 1960s as the Bobcat, this machine established the skid-steer loader category: a compact, highly maneuverable loader that turns within its own footprint and can work in tight spaces where conventional equipment cannot. Bobcat grew through the 1960s and 1970s into a full line of loaders and attachments, and the brand passed through several corporate owners. It became part of Clark Equipment and later of Ingersoll Rand, which acquired the Melroe/Bobcat business and expanded it internationally, adding compact excavators, telehandlers and utility vehicles to the range. Under Ingersoll Rand the business became a global compact-equipment leader with a strong North American and European dealer network. In 2007 Doosan Group of South Korea agreed to acquire the Bobcat business, together with Ingersoll Rand's utility-equipment operations, for a reported multi-billion-dollar consideration. Doosan combined these assets with its own compact-equipment activities to create Doosan Bobcat, headquartered in Seoul with North American operations in West Fargo, North Dakota. The deal made Doosan a major global player in compact construction equipment and gave the Bobcat brand a well-capitalized industrial parent. Doosan Bobcat Inc. was subsequently listed on the Korea Exchange, with Doosan Group retaining control. The company invested in manufacturing and product development across the United States, Europe and Asia, and expanded its compact excavator, telehandler and attachment lines. In the 2010s and 2020s it emphasized connected equipment, fleet-management telematics and electrification, unveiling battery-electric and remote-controlled loader concepts and expanding its rental-channel partnerships. The business remains a core industrial pillar of Doosan Group alongside its power and energy operations.

• 2022

  Company showcases battery-electric and remote-controlled compact loader concepts as part of its electrification push.

• 2016

  Doosan Bobcat Inc. lists on the Korea Exchange while Doosan Group retains control.

• 2007

  Doosan Group of South Korea acquires the Bobcat business from Ingersoll Rand, forming Doosan Bobcat.

• 1962

  The Bobcat name is adopted for the company's skid-steer loaders.

• 1958

  Introduction of the M60 three-wheeled loader, followed by the four-wheel-drive M440 that defined the skid-steer loader.

• 1947

  Melroe Manufacturing Company founded by the Melroe brothers in North Dakota, the corporate ancestor of the Bobcat brand.

Premium, innovation-led global maker of compact construction and agricultural equipment, anchored by the Bobcat brand and a strong dealer and rental-channel network.

• Bobcat skid-steer loaders (S-series)

• Bobcat compact track loaders (T-series)

• Bobcat compact excavators (E-series)

• Bobcat telehandlers

• Bobcat utility vehicles

• Attachments and implements for compact equipment

• 2022.01.04

  Reported2022.01.04

  Bobcat unveils all-electric T7X compact track loader[3]Bobcat发布全电动T7X紧凑型履带式装载机prnewswire.com

  Doosan Bobcat unveiled the all-electric Bobcat T7X compact track loader at CES 2022.

• Unconfirmed

  Reported2021.01.20

  Doosan Bobcat acquires stake in Ainstein[4]Doosan Bobcat 收购 Ainstein 股权khl.com

  Doosan Bobcat acquired a stake in US-based Ainstein, which develops radar technology, to establish a long-term partnership and advance unmanned vehicle technology.

• Unconfirmed

  Doosan Bobcat EMEA headquarters wins office award[5]Doosan Bobcat EMEA 总部获办公环境奖technicalreviewmiddleeast.com

  Doosan Bobcat EMEA’s headquarters won the “Healthy Environment and Sustainability” category in the CBRE Art of Space Awards in the Czech Republic.

• 2019.12.16

  Reported2019.12.16

  Doosan Bobcat announces plan to acquire mower business[6]斗山山猫宣布收购割草机业务计划khl.com

  Doosan Bobcat announced a plan to acquire the Bob-Cat mower business from Schiller Grounds Care in a deal estimated at US$82 million. The deal includes the mower products and sales network and was expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

• 2019.12.02

  Reported2019.12.02

  Doosan Bobcat to acquire three grounds-care brands[7]斗山Bobcat将收购三个草坪养护设备品牌constructionequipment.com

  Doosan Bobcat announced that it would acquire the assets of the Bob-Cat Mowers, Steiner and Ryan grounds-care equipment brands from Schiller Grounds Care; the deal was expected to close by year-end.

• 2019.11.27

  Reported2019.11.27

  Doosan Bobcat announces planned Litchfield facility expansion[8]Doosan Bobcat宣布计划扩建Litchfield工厂constructionequipmentguide.com

  Doosan Bobcat announced plans for a $26 million expansion of its manufacturing facility in Litchfield, Minnesota. The project is intended to modernize the facility and expand its footprint; completion was expected by September 2020.

Read more

1. 1Doosan Bobcat official websitebobcat.com
2. 2Doosan Group official websitedoosan.com
3. 3Bobcat发布全电动T7X紧凑型履带式装载机prnewswire.com
4. 4Doosan Bobcat 收购 Ainstein 股权khl.com
5. 5Doosan Bobcat EMEA 总部获办公环境奖technicalreviewmiddleeast.com
6. 6斗山山猫宣布收购割草机业务计划khl.com
7. 7斗山Bobcat将收购三个草坪养护设备品牌constructionequipment.com
8. 8Doosan Bobcat宣布计划扩建Litchfield工厂constructionequipmentguide.com
9. 9Doosan Bobcat Introduces the World’s First-Ever All-Electric and Eco-Friendly Track Loader at CES 2022techtimes.com