The History of Bobcat®

Stop by a farm, construction site, or factory and you’re likely to see someone cruising around in a Bobcat® loader. You can always recognize a Bobcat® by its white and red color scheme and trademark cat logo. If you stick around long enough, you could recognize Bobcat® loaders another way: they’re the loader that lifts more, works longer, and is tougher than any other piece of equipment on the site. So how did Bobcat® get to the place where their company was so recognizable? The story centers on a good idea and an entrepreneurial spirit that allowed that good idea to take form. It’s about as American of a story as you’ll find!

Synergy Equipment carries all the latest from Bobcat® including skid-steer loaders, track loaders, telehandlers, and more. Our locations proudly serve the communities of Daytona Beach, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Palatka, St. Augustine, Tampa, and Pompano Beach, Florida. Stop by our showroom today to try one out for yourself.

An American Entrepreneur Story

Before there was Bobcat®, there was a family of equipment manufacturers living in a little town called Gwinner, North Dakota. The Melroe Manufacturing Company was run by Lester, Clifford, Roger, and Irving Melroe, as well their brother-in-law Eugene Dahl. They produced a combine attachment called the Melroe Pickup as well as a field weeding device called the harroweeder. They did a tidy business among the plains of North Dakota.

Then one day a local farmer approached the brothers with the need for a new piece of machinery. The farmer ran a turkey farm that featured a two-story barn which was held up by numerous support poles. The farmer wanted a machine that was sufficiently narrow and maneuverable to navigate the poles of the barn, while being powerful enough to plow through the dirty mess left behind by the turkeys.

The Melroe brothers enlisted another set of brothers that had just arrived from Minnesota to help design the new machine. Cyril and Louis Keller were inventors, and they soon developed a three-wheeled design that featured a front-end loader. The machine used a unique clutch mechanism to put independent power to each of the front wheels. In the back, a caster wheel kept the loader narrow and maneuverable.

The farmer was very pleased with the machine, so the Melroes began manufacturing more. That year, they presented the loader at the Minnesota State Fair, where it made a huge splash. The Melroes quickly came to a business arrangement with the Keller brothers and kicked manufacturing into high gear. They built seven loaders that year, 18 the next, and 400 the following year.

In 1962, the company rebranded as Bobcat® and introduced a new four-wheel skid-steer loader. Eventually, the engineers developed a line of standardized attachments that could fit on multiple Bobcat® vehicles, expanding the uses for the machines. The brand gradually expanded to include compact excavators, compact track loaders, and the M-Series line of skid-steer loaders which dominate today. In 2014, the company sold its 1,000,000th loader.

Modern Day Equipment Innovation

Bobcat® has become the industry standard for skid-steers and compact excavators after generations of developing machines that are tough, powerful, and easy to operate. Today, the skid-steers feature more powerful engines, hydraulic attachments, and cabs that keep the operator comfortable and safe. The all-new M2-Series offers automatic ride adjustment to make the ride more comfortable and prevent material spillage. Joysticks give the operator complete control and put all of the loader’s functions at the operator’s fingertips. Bobcat® loaders and excavators feature some of the most versatile, usable attachments, too. From hydraulic hammers to augers to excavator buckets. No matter what job you have to accomplish, these durable, versatile machines can help you get it done faster and easier.