Week 12 Winners
Brody Scholz
Beaver Dam, Wis.
Bobcat Unleashed Me
“My family recently built a new home out in the country. We had a great opportunity to borrow a Bobcat® skid-steer loader from a family friend. I’m not sure of the exact model of the machine, but I know that it was older. I can hardly imagine what the new machines must be like! The old one that we used had so much power and was such a versatile machine that I can only imagine what we could do with a new one. Having that Bobcat loader to use unleashed the potential of both my dad and me. Dad was the one who operated the machine and I helped him in every way I could.
“We were able to accomplish a lot in the two-month period that we had that Bobcat loader. We used it to put the lawn in and do landscaping at our house. We used it to build six very large rock walls that we would never have been able to without that Bobcat machine. Because of it, we were able to do things that we would have never been able to do on our own, no matter how hard we tried. We borrowed an auger attachment for the Bobcat machine and used it to make the holes for the pole barn that we are currently working on. I would still be out there with a post hole digger working on the first post if it were not for that machine and auger. Bobcat skid-steer loaders are very impressive machines and worth their weight in gold. They make every job go smoother, faster and easier. Keep up the great work and keep making a great, dependable machine.”
Bob Mutch
Gopher Wrecking & Demolition Salvage Co.
Bakersfield, Calif.
Bobcat Unleashed Me
“I fell in love with Bobcat® machines when I was 7 years old. I saw an old M610 crash through a burning barn’s door on Simon and Simon. I wanted one all through school and finally got my chance in 1995, when I bought an M371 from my boss. I started doing cleanup jobs with it and my 82' 1-ton Dodge. I got into the scrap metal business, and I needed a bigger machine. My old boss happened to be selling a 643, so I bought that too. Within a few months, I bought a 1991 743 and a 1990 843. All of these machines were great. I bought a couple of grapple buckets and a pallet fork.
“I ended up getting into the gas station business. I worked with several environmental contractors removing underground tanks. My Bobcat machines graded the bottom of the excavations. Because they were so compact and agile, they could be lowered into the holes and then craned out. I then bought a concrete breaker and auger; this opened several new doors. I started breaking the concrete drive slabs at gas stations, and started drilling foundations for canopies. The environmental guys loved that I could do so much with one machine and a couple of attachments. They could call me and I could do the job of several other subcontractors!
“I then started getting the ‘heavy equipment’ in 1999 — large excavators and loaders. My business grew to demolishing gas stations and doing retrofits. By this time, after four short years, I had a fleet and I was working all over the state of California. I am now a demolition and scrap metal contractor. I have five large excavators, a wheel loader, several trucks and of course, my Bobcat machines. Those machines are like my children; I still own and run my 643. I bought a 864 when it came out. I still have it and use it daily!
“I occasionally take my 643 to jobs. I had an emergency demolition job that required a narrow machine to get in and out of a shopping mall that a big rig drove into. I had to clear a path so the rig could be dragged out. My 643 did the task with no problem. I went in later after the rig was pulled out. I demolished the rest of the building’s interior so the general building contractor could replace the rest of the building.
“All in all, I have owned 11 Bobcat skid-steer loaders and a 331 mini excavator. I am 30 years old now. I look to run for another 30 years — always with Bobcat equipment. I want to thank you for such reliable machines and great products.”
Scott Wootton
St. Louis, Mo.
Bobcat Unleashed Me
“When my family bought our house, the yard was not very flat and we had to do something because we were tripping over holes and bumps in the yard. To solve this problem, we rented a Bobcat® T300 skid-steer loader, leveled our yard and spread 10 tons of topsoil over everything. After we had finished that, we laid down sod. The grass has grown great, and we constantly get positive comments from neighbors and visitors.
“Soon after that, I proceeded to build my first workshop. This took a while because I am currently in school. I built the workshop behind a steep hill, so I had a problem with water running into my shed. To solve this problem I went back to the rental company and rented the T300 again. I used it to change the slope of the land and put some rock down — that solved the water problem.
“It has been about a year since we have done any work involving any heavy equipment. Since my childhood, I have always wanted to own my own piece of heavy equipment. This past weekend we had to tear out our carpet from our house because it flooded. We found out that water has been seeping in through cracks in the foundation. The side of our house is buried under 8 feet of dirt, so we were worried the problem would be difficult to fix. However, we went to the rental shop again and rented a Bobcat 435 excavator. This did a great job of digging around our house. The 435 came within inches of the foundation and dug straight down with no problem. We also put a few trenches in our yard to help divert water from the house. Today, we laid down 500 feet of drain tile and put some rock around it to hold it in place. It has been raining for the past two days and so far we think this solved the problem.
“I have not driven Bobcat equipment much, but I love it. I have always been impressed with the power of Bobcat equipment and plan on buying a piece of heavy equipment from Bobcat whenever I get the money.”
Jethro Montgomery
Turf Concepts, LLC
Elida, Ohio
Bobcat Unleashed Me
“I learned early that I could always stay busy if I stayed flexible. Limitations were just leashes. To be the best, always evolve. Become better, and strive to adapt to ever-changing conditions. Bobcat® equipment has done all of these things very well. I can confidently design, bid or estimate jobs knowing that Bobcat already makes what I will need to complete the job — on time and on budget.
“When I needed to tiptoe into a century-old cemetery to replace original flagstone foundations, my 500-series left fewer marks than a wheelbarrow. In February of 2002, I landed a project to dip out the edge of a two-acre pond and rip-rap the perimeter. The job needed to be done by Easter, but the ground was mud, and the pond was full and in the center of a rolling, million-dollar estate. I confided in my Bobcat rep at the time, Sam Kimpel, and expressed my dilemma. Sam brought me the perfect tools for the job — an excavator with a smooth bucket and a brand-new track loader with a pallet fork, bucket and dumping hopper.
“Once again, the wheelbarrow left the biggest ruts. I hired a 35-year veteran excavator operator to operate our 435. He showed up early, teasing us about our ‘toy’ excavator. He entered the excavator to get started — and we never heard another word. He still brags about those two days and that machine. Fellow contractors stopped in just to check out the equipment and see how we managed to complete the project under such unfavorable conditions.
“Last summer, our MT55, equipped with a soil conditioner attachment, made short work of irrigated lawn installation that was completely impossible with anything else. As a local concrete crew was crane-lowering a Bobcat machine into the bottom of an enormous, newly poured agricultural foundation to level stone, the crane operator commented, ‘If they only made one of those things with remote control …’ Sam would have sold them one on the spot!
“As years pass and challenges come and go, the satisfaction that accompanies you on the best of days is being able to stay off the leash. To the extended family that is Bobcat, happy 50th anniversary.”
Colin Wandzura
I-Mech Engineering, Inc.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Bobcat Unleashed Me
“It’s no surprise that I have Bobcat stories. During the winter months, Saskatchewan can be suddenly struck by blizzards at any time. Living in Saskatchewan depends on Bobcat® machinery to clear safe passage for vehicles and pedestrians. As soon as a snowstorm hits, all Bobcat equipment operators are on instant standby and ready to start clearing roads, parking lots, and driveways. The truth is, shovels and elbow grease just aren’t good enough for a Saskatchewan winter, and that is where Bobcat machines come in. Businesses around Saskatoon are dependent on Bobcat equipment operators who clear out their parking lots within 24 hours of a snowfall, no matter what the temperature and wind chill may be outside, and usually working all hours of the night.
“I started my own snow-removal business in 2007 based on one trusty Bobcat S250 I knew would fire up even in Saskatchewan’s minus 40 degree winters. This past winter, I was especially thankful to have a Bobcat machine on hand. I got in my 4x4 truck and drove to the open field for my trailer. I didn’t think twice, but the snowdrifts were too much for the truck. I was hopelessly stuck in the middle of a field with no one in sight to help. With the minus 50 degree wind chill, I didn’t dare try to walk back to the city.
“I sat there in dismay. To make matters worse, I didn’t know how I was going to get that snow removal job done in time. I called up my girlfriend on my cellular phone and asked her if she wanted to learn how to drive a Bobcat machine. First she laughed, and then she asked if I was crazy, but I assured her I could teach her how to drive it over the phone. She was hesitant and intimidated by the machinery, but once she got into the S250, she had no problem figuring out how to operate it. ‘Is that all?’ she asked when I walked her through the steps. She managed to navigate her way out through the snow to where I was. She was enjoying the Bobcat machine so much, she insisted on pushing the snow around herself! The S250 had no problem pulling out that one-ton truck, and we quickly were on our way to finish up the snow-removal job.
“My girlfriend still brags about her new skill to friends and family. If it weren’t for the S250’s ease of operation, its ability to run in minus 50 degree weather, and the power to pull my truck out of thigh-high snow, I might still be stuck out there today. With my girlfriend as a second operator, I’ve been able to run my snow-removal business better, smarter, and faster. I have been fortunate enough to see my business double, all thanks to Bobcat.
“My goal for the future is to continue the expansion of my business to encompass year-round contracting and to purchase additional Bobcat machinery, possibly a S300. With Bobcat, the world is my sandbox, and what better job could someone ask for?”
