Doosan Bobcat Completes $26 Million Expansion of Litchfield, Minnesota, Manufacturing Facility
Doosan Bobcat North America has completed a $26 million expansion at its manufacturing facility in Litchfield, Minnesota. The 15-month project nearly tripled the size of the facility – from 70,000 square feet of office and manufacturing space to nearly 200,000 square feet – and will create a significant number of new jobs in the community, the company reports.
The expansion adds new assembly lines and upgrades, conveyor systems, a new paint line, climate control systems and more, all designed to add efficiency and provide additional manufacturing capabilities to meet the growing demand for the expanding lineup of Bobcat products. The Litchfield facility produces more than 250 attachments to equip Bobcat machines for specific tasks to enhance productivity and utility.
“This investment is about meeting the growing demand for Bobcat products from our customers and dealers, and I am incredibly proud of this project and our Litchfield team,” said Mike Ballweber, president of Doosan Bobcat North America. “We are pleased to expand our manufacturing footprint and continue to support our expanding product line and customer base.”
The expansion brings additional employment opportunities and economic growth to the area, says Doosan Bobcat. The company is actively recruiting to hire an additional 110 full-time, permanent employees with benefits in a phased approach through 2021 to join the operation’s current 140+ workforce. This hiring plan includes a total of 150+ production, manufacturing engineering and operations positions to be added since the expansion project launched in November 2019. Production jobs currently being added at the Litchfield facility include fabricator, assembler, welder and material handler positions.
“We are experiencing significant opportunities in Litchfield. We are excited about the growth and the chance to expand our workforce,” said Mike Kiefer, Litchfield site operations manager at Doosan Bobcat. “This expansion has strengthened our manufacturing footprint, while also contributing to the economic development in Meeker County and the Twin Cities region.”
OPE Business first reported on Doosan Bobcat’s plans to expand its Litchfield, Minnesota, manufacturing facility in November 2019. Read that full coverage here.
This is the latest investment Doosan Bobcat has made in its North America manufacturing facilities. Other investments have included: a $17 million investment in Gwinner, North Dakota; an $11 million investment in Statesville, North Carolina; and a commitment of $6 million in facility and manufacturing enhancements at Johnson Creek, Wisconsin.
