Bobcat Production shutdown

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Fishfiles

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I heard a very distrubing story from a very good source yesterday that Bobcat's Assembly plant in North Dakota is shutting down for a minumim of 6 months starting in Febuary and that 168 people are loosing their jobs , also heard Catapiler is shutting down for 6 months and 4 thousand part time works and an undisclosed number of permanent workers which may total close to twenty thousand are losing thier jobs , any one got any info of this , I think times are going to get really bad , real soon
 

bobcat_ron

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When I announced this info on other forums regarding the Bobcat shut down, I was called a liar and a fraud, and now I don't seem so anti-Bobcat now do I??
But sadly it's a reflection of the times, here in Canada, lumber is so cheap, you can build a house for 70% less that it would have cost a year ago, but finding a creditor or a loan is impossible.
Too many people have put their faith on Obama, they don't realize it will take a few years, so I think this will be a long 3 year long knuckle dragging world event.
Cat is laying off 20,000 people and Bobcat is expected to re-open in the middle of next month, but it's not likely. Case construction has shut down their plants.
 

perry

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When I announced this info on other forums regarding the Bobcat shut down, I was called a liar and a fraud, and now I don't seem so anti-Bobcat now do I??
But sadly it's a reflection of the times, here in Canada, lumber is so cheap, you can build a house for 70% less that it would have cost a year ago, but finding a creditor or a loan is impossible.
Too many people have put their faith on Obama, they don't realize it will take a few years, so I think this will be a long 3 year long knuckle dragging world event.
Cat is laying off 20,000 people and Bobcat is expected to re-open in the middle of next month, but it's not likely. Case construction has shut down their plants.
Heard about caterpillar earlier today, didn't know about BC. I'll bet those Koreans are pi$$.............
 
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Fishfiles

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Heard about caterpillar earlier today, didn't know about BC. I'll bet those Koreans are pi$$.............
A story I heard on the Ingersol to Dousan sale was that Ingersol a year and a half before the sale had put on a second crew assembling machine , the policy before was always to make machines as needed , well they got away for that and mass produced machines that didn't sell and stock plied them in warehouses across the country , I'd guess they tried to make the company look better than it really was for the sale , your right Perry I'd think the Koreans are PI$$ed , I wonder if Bobcat will ever reopen in the USA if they do shutdown , you would think they move the plant to Korea
 

bobcat_ron

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A story I heard on the Ingersol to Dousan sale was that Ingersol a year and a half before the sale had put on a second crew assembling machine , the policy before was always to make machines as needed , well they got away for that and mass produced machines that didn't sell and stock plied them in warehouses across the country , I'd guess they tried to make the company look better than it really was for the sale , your right Perry I'd think the Koreans are PI$$ed , I wonder if Bobcat will ever reopen in the USA if they do shutdown , you would think they move the plant to Korea
Bobcat could have survived if they had better management practices, look at Deere, Bobcat's #2 competitor, they haven't shut down........yet.
 

nobull1

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Bobcat could have survived if they had better management practices, look at Deere, Bobcat's #2 competitor, they haven't shut down........yet.
"Bobcat could have survived if they had better management practises"

Would you care to provide a explanation/opinion for that statement.
 

bobcat_ron

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"Bobcat could have survived if they had better management practises"

Would you care to provide a explanation/opinion for that statement.
The managers didn't pay enough attention to the housing market in 2008, they thought it would rebound and another natural disaster would happen, so they ramped up production big time with an expectation that they would be called upon to supply mass amounts of compact equipment, so now every machine has some extra employee over time hours on it and they are selling for the same price, profits stay the same, costs go up big time and nothing gets balanced. The costs of keeping factories running at peak production and mega over time are huge, that's what will kill any company.
If they would have better managed the situation, maybe by cutting production and costs, and even going as far as cutting hours of each employee down, they would have done better, YES, they would have still suffered, but they wouldn't have been the first to shut down.
It is a common problem in today's work force, an old saying "Too many Chiefs, not enough Indians".
If Deere shuts down, we are really screwed.
 

pondfishr

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The managers didn't pay enough attention to the housing market in 2008, they thought it would rebound and another natural disaster would happen, so they ramped up production big time with an expectation that they would be called upon to supply mass amounts of compact equipment, so now every machine has some extra employee over time hours on it and they are selling for the same price, profits stay the same, costs go up big time and nothing gets balanced. The costs of keeping factories running at peak production and mega over time are huge, that's what will kill any company.
If they would have better managed the situation, maybe by cutting production and costs, and even going as far as cutting hours of each employee down, they would have done better, YES, they would have still suffered, but they wouldn't have been the first to shut down.
It is a common problem in today's work force, an old saying "Too many Chiefs, not enough Indians".
If Deere shuts down, we are really screwed.
This is the latest news I can find. Was the extendedc schutdown announced after this from the 23rd of January. WEST FARGO, N.D. (AP) -- Bobcat Co. says it is extending a six-week shutdown of its two North Dakota plants by two weeks, citing the nation's economic slowdown. The West Fargo-based construction equipment manufacturer laid off a total employees at its plants in Bismarck and Gwinner in mid-December. The plants have about 2,000 employees combined. They were due back to work Feb. 2. In a statement Thursday, Bobcat said the layoffs have been extended until Feb. 16. The company statement said the extended layoffs are "a result of continued economic conditions, specifically the downturn in the housing market and crisis in the financial markets."
 

mdterp

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When I announced this info on other forums regarding the Bobcat shut down, I was called a liar and a fraud, and now I don't seem so anti-Bobcat now do I??
But sadly it's a reflection of the times, here in Canada, lumber is so cheap, you can build a house for 70% less that it would have cost a year ago, but finding a creditor or a loan is impossible.
Too many people have put their faith on Obama, they don't realize it will take a few years, so I think this will be a long 3 year long knuckle dragging world event.
Cat is laying off 20,000 people and Bobcat is expected to re-open in the middle of next month, but it's not likely. Case construction has shut down their plants.
Feb. 16 2009 start up date for Bobcat.... not sure about the others....doosan wanted and needed to cleasn house after the purchase from IR and the economic conditions aren't helping. If any OEM shuts down for 6 month than they are done for...one less brand to look at
 

bobcat_ron

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Feb. 16 2009 start up date for Bobcat.... not sure about the others....doosan wanted and needed to cleasn house after the purchase from IR and the economic conditions aren't helping. If any OEM shuts down for 6 month than they are done for...one less brand to look at
The plants in Bismark and Gwinner, what do they produce? I read that they had completely shut down a 3rd plant.
 

thetool

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The plants in Bismark and Gwinner, what do they produce? I read that they had completely shut down a 3rd plant.
Ron I remember your earlier posts and the treatment you recieved, but you come at it like they're going belly up and that dosen't seem to be the case.
It's like you find joy in their failure and that seems very wicked.
There has been talk of new, totally redesigned machines coming out, how do we know they're just not re-tooling for the new stuff?
 

thetool

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Ron I remember your earlier posts and the treatment you recieved, but you come at it like they're going belly up and that dosen't seem to be the case.
It's like you find joy in their failure and that seems very wicked.
There has been talk of new, totally redesigned machines coming out, how do we know they're just not re-tooling for the new stuff?
What I always heard, Gwinner makes most loaders. The 553 or S70 now is made in the Czech Republic.
Bizmarck is Excavators and Attachments.
Other stuff with Bobcat Paint Jobs and Decals is made in various other places.
 
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Fishfiles

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What I always heard, Gwinner makes most loaders. The 553 or S70 now is made in the Czech Republic.
Bizmarck is Excavators and Attachments.
Other stuff with Bobcat Paint Jobs and Decals is made in various other places.
One thing for sure we are seeing "CHANGE" as promised , and I foresee a lot more change on the way , I can't blame the present Presidential administration yet , the previous group caused the problems and to me has to end up being remembered as the worst in US history ------------ not that Retooling would be needed , Tool , but one thing I had heard that they were coming out with in 2009 was a system called Tier 4 which is an on board controller to monitor and adjust as need fuel injection so as to run cleaner and be more eviromentally friend , foresee mechanical and pocket book hardships on the way there ---- I have been seeing more new Dousan machines around here than ever before ------- around here the prices of new Bobcats has come down considerabilly and the part prices have skyrocketed by huge leaps , availabillity and order times on parts have increased , the availabillity on the popular models of new machines is zill , you can't easily get a new T190 , 250 , 300 or 330 right now , alot of used machines on the market as people are folding up shop , I think what is going to happen is Bobcat will lose their edge in the mini loader /excavator market even if they do rebound from this fiasco , one thing for sure things have changed
 

thebobcatguy

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Feb 15, 2009
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Ron I remember your earlier posts and the treatment you recieved, but you come at it like they're going belly up and that dosen't seem to be the case.
It's like you find joy in their failure and that seems very wicked.
There has been talk of new, totally redesigned machines coming out, how do we know they're just not re-tooling for the new stuff?
My Bobcat salesman tells me they are coming out with the M series skid steer this spring. It is probably more than a coincidence that they shut the plant down for a couple of extra weeks just before the launch of a newly designed machine.
 

Sven

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Mar 5, 2009
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The plants in Bismark and Gwinner, what do they produce? I read that they had completely shut down a 3rd plant.
-Gwinner makes almost all Loaders -S70, S100 are made in CZ, some other small loaders and excvators are as well but those are specific for Europe Middle East and Africa -Attachments are made in MN, a few attachments are made in CZ for Europe -Bismark makes Excavators
 
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Fishfiles

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-Gwinner makes almost all Loaders -S70, S100 are made in CZ, some other small loaders and excvators are as well but those are specific for Europe Middle East and Africa -Attachments are made in MN, a few attachments are made in CZ for Europe -Bismark makes Excavators
i am hearing the plant is back up producing machines
 

sp6x6

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i am hearing the plant is back up producing machines
Friday I sat in a new s205, high flow, 2 speed, with tier IV 66HP AT THEdealer, wish it was mine. It was one of the local towns and they are not even going to use it for snow removal and ordered it specific without bobtach?
 
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Fishfiles

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Friday I sat in a new s205, high flow, 2 speed, with tier IV 66HP AT THEdealer, wish it was mine. It was one of the local towns and they are not even going to use it for snow removal and ordered it specific without bobtach?
any idea what they mount to the boom since they didn't get the bobtack ----------I am going to stay a little skeptical of the tier IV engines till I see how much trouble they are going to be with sensors and controllers , I am thinking more down time , expensive parts and trips to the dealer to get it scanned
 

sp6x6

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any idea what they mount to the boom since they didn't get the bobtack ----------I am going to stay a little skeptical of the tier IV engines till I see how much trouble they are going to be with sensors and controllers , I am thinking more down time , expensive parts and trips to the dealer to get it scanned
Sorry I meant, Power bobtach, which I love, ordered it without on purpose, I GUESS FOR MULTIPLE USERS
 

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