Secretary Chao, Elected Leaders Celebrate Doosan Bobcat HQ Expansion

Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao led a delegation of major elected leaders on Wednesday to celebrate the completion of a $9.5 million company headquarters expansion effort undertaken by Doosan Bobcat North America.

Doosan Bobcat North America President and AEM Vice Chair Rich Goldsbury welcomed Chao, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Sen. John Hoeven and a slew of additional dignitaries to the facility in West Fargo, North Dakota to toast the expansion.

"Doosan Bobcat is a growing company that continues to make investments in its people," said Goldsbury. "Creating an innovative environment helps us attract and retain team members who are focused on bringing new ideas and solutions to the marketplace faster."

Chao, who is charged with leading the effort to shepherd President Donald Trump's $1 trillion infrastructure proposal through Congress, paid tribute to the role equipment manufacturers play in forming the backbone of the U.S. economy, and in helping to build vital infrastructure.

"This is a very impressive facility, designed to foster the kind of creativity that Bobcat showed when it established the category of compact construction equipment in 1958," said Chao. "Years later, that creativity is still going strong. It's part of the great American genius for innovation, which is one of our country's hallmarks."

She continued: "As a former Secretary of Labor, I am also delighted to see that Doosan Bobcat is investing here in North Dakota to create more jobs for American workers. As you know, this administration has make rebuilding our country's crumbling infrastructure a top priority So there will be a lot of work for Bobcat's innovative, compact equipment-and the men and women who build them-- in the coming years."

Sen. Hoeven added in a statement : "As a premier construction manufacturing company, Bobcat's expansion is a good example of how investing in America's infrastructure will grow industries across our economy."

Doosan Bobcat's West Fargo, North Dakota-based headquarters now boasts double the square footage and employee capacity of the original facility built in 2000, and it brings together teams who handle company administration, and manage sales and marketing and product development, for Doosan and Bobcat brands.

As a former Secretary of Labor, I am also delighted to see that Doosan Bobcat is investing here in North Dakota to create more jobs for American workers. As you know, this administration has make rebuilding our country's crumbling infrastructure a top priority So there will be a lot of work for Bobcat's innovative, compact equipment-and the men and women who build them-- in the coming years.

According to the company, the updated facility features a collaborative environment for employees to work in new ways, drive innovation and improve operations. The new space also provides a state-of-the-art environment for collaboration and independent work using leading technologies, similar to what the company did with its Bismarck, North Dakota-based Acceleration center, a $28 million facility completed in in 2014. The expansion effort also reflects the company's commitment to fields related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), which has been a major initiative for Doosan Bobcat, the state of North Dakota and the region.

"As a company, we have a vested interest in promoting STEM-related positions to build a sustainable long-term workforce," said Goldsbury. "And we need facilities that help us recruit and retain top talent in the region - which goes hand in hand with our STEM efforts and North Dakota State University (NDSU) partnership.

An open floor plan encourages movement, personal connections and spontaneous collaboration. Individual workstations with sit/stand capacities, dual monitors and docking stations are present throughout the facility, allowing team members to choose where to work at any given time of day. If employees need to utilize a private meeting room, they can choose to use 33 non-reservable enclaves located throughout the facility. Numerous and diverse reservable technology-based meeting spaces and open air Mediascapes are readily available for teams and events. A vitality area, collaborative indoor and outdoor dining area and walking path are available to individuals who need to take a break from day-to-day activities. Treadmill and bike workstations are also available, further increasing wellness opportunities for employees.

"Everything we are doing at our other North Dakota facilities in Bismarck, Gwinner, Wahpeton and West Fargo is part of the 'innovation accelerated' initiative,'" said Goldsbury. "This is an ongoing investment and process, however, with a combination of environment, tools and techniques we can create a culture that brings more innovation to our processes and products."

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