The Bobcat Institute itself is based at the heart of the Doosan Bobcat Campus. It is surrounded by the Bobcat factory and the Innovation Center. It consists of a large main building with four training rooms, each capable of holding up to 30 individuals. In addition to the classrooms, the facility also includes offices, four workshops for service training and a total of 15,000 m2 (equal to two football pitches) of outdoor area which is devoted to hands-on try outs of Bobcat machines and for hosting events such as the very successful Demo Days.

For over 10 years, the former Training Center achieved its goal of greatly enhancing the performance of the dealer network by raising standards, introducing new tools and increasing support to create the best possible Bobcat customer experience right across the EMEA region (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), wherever dealers are based, from Manchester, Oslo, Hamburg and Madrid to Dubai, Istanbul and Johannesburg.

Over the decade since it was established, the Training Center evolved and the curriculum improved to match the requirements/needs of the dealer network. In that time, the Training Center trained about 9000 individuals. The figure is even higher after including the web-based courses provided and followed on the Training Center Learning Management System.

Now moving on as the new Bobcat Institute, it is dedicated to helping Bobcat dealers in improving knowledge, in all possible ways, convinced that personal development is the foundation of further dealer performance growth. It is essential to the success and performance of Bobcat’s dealer partners, providing optimum customer satisfaction at all times.

More than ‘just’ training

“The Bobcat Institute enhances Bobcat dealer performance with the right training, support and tools for enhanced customer experience. To achieve this, the Institute has developed a 3-step approach building on our strong training foundations to also focus on the competition’s equipment with proactive sales materials, complemented by supporting dealers further with equipment demonstrations and other positive action,” explained Jürgen Gremez, Training Director, Bobcat Institute.

At the Bobcat Institute, training and development are not one-off activities but a continuous, lifelong process necessary for the success of the organization and the individual. The Institute helps develop the skills, performance and knowledge that dealers and Bobcat staff need to improve confidence, efficiency, product familiarity and the service Bobcat offers customers.

Here are the key parameters being met by the Bobcat Institute:

• Over 2500 trainees per year
• 50% of training delivered in Dobris and 50% locally for greater flexibility
• Over 1300 visitors per year during Demo Day events, ‘test drives’ and factory tours
• Over 50 nationalities participate in the training sessions
• On average, Trainers have 20-30 years of industry experience

The LCO Awards are the industry’s only accolade of their kind, based on empirical data regarding the long-term cost of heavy and compact equipment. They are organised by EquipmentWatch, a world leader in data, software and insights for the heavy equipment industry. Nominees are recognised within 15 different categories of machine that exhibit the lowest cost of ownership over a five year span.

Total cost of ownership is one of the most important aspects that buyers take into account when they purchase equipment. The awards won by the T590 and S70 are a testament to the reputation for high performance, quality and reliability that the Bobcat range of compact loaders, mini-excavators, telehandlers and attachments has established over the last 60 years.

Commenting on Bobcat’s success in the LCO Awards, Jiri Karmazin, Loaders Product Manager Doosan Bobcat EMEA, said: “We are delighted to win these awards again. They demonstrate why even after more than 60 years, the Bobcat compact loader range continues to be the market leader, so that one in every two skid-steer loaders sold today is still a Bobcat machine. It is our commitment to outstanding quality, workmanship and innovation that has helped to maintain our market leadership.”

The Bobcat T590 and S70 Compact Loaders

The T590 compact track loader has an operating weight of 3548 kg, a rated operating capacity (ISO 14397-1) of 971 kg and a tipping load (ISO 14397-1) of 2774 kg. A particular aspect of Bobcat compact track loaders like the T590 is the excellent ground-hugging abilities and stability offered by the tracks for work in harsh, wet conditions and for utilities and road maintenance with Bobcat planer and wheel saw attachments.

The S70 is the smallest model in the Bobcat skid-steer loader range. With a width of 901 mm, a height of 1814 mm, an overall length with standard bucket of 2472 mm and an operating weight of only 1268 kg, the S70 skid-steer loader ticks all the boxes for compactness, transportability and manoeuvrability. With its small dimensions, the S70 model can access sites with narrow openings such as gates, alleys or aisles. The S70 is ideal for work in tight areas where larger machines cannot manoeuvre effectively.

The T590 and S70, like all Bobcat compact loaders, are equipped with the quick-change Bob-Tach attachment mounting system, allowing them to be combined quickly and safely with a very wide choice of Bobcat attachments, delivering versatility and time-saving efficiency across a huge range of different applications.