A farmer and inventor, Edward Gideon “E.G.” Melroe founded Melroe Manufacturing Company in Gwinner, North Dakota, in 1947. His notable inventions included the Melroe pickup, a combine attachment that would pick up windrows of grain, and the harroweeder, a spring-tooth harrow for weeding row crops. Melroe died in 1955, leaving his sons Lester, Clifford, Roger and Irving, and son-in-law Eugene Dahl, in charge of the business. The prosperous farm implement business changed course in 1958, after the brothers met with inventors Cyril and Louis Keller, from Rothsay, in western Minnesota.
Explore More About Bobcat's History
Corporate Timeline
See how the company grew, how product lines came and went, and the results of three ownership changes. Watch film clips that show how the products were marketed.
Product Timeline
Follow the development of the three major product groups: skid-steer loaders, compact track loaders and compact excavators. Timelines cover major model launches and the innovations tied to each.
Branding and Trade Dress Timeline
While the Bobcat brand hasn’t changed since its introduction in 1962, trade dress -- what appears on the product -- has changed dramatically.