Edward Gideon (E.G.) Melroe invents the windrow pickup on his Gwinner, North Dakota, farm.

E.G. and family members build a few pickup attachments for neighbors. In 1939 he sells pickup design to John Deere for $5,000 to pay hospital bills after heart attack and leg amputation.

E.G. and sons -- back home after WWII service -- open Gwinner factory to manufacture new design windrow pickup. When service station and schoolhouse sites proved too small, they build factory building in 1948.

E.G.’s new spring tooth harrow with folding drawbar introduced, named the Melroe harroweeder. The Melroe family business is featured in the Fargo Forum newspaper article.

E.G.’s new spring tooth harrow with folding drawbar introduced, named the Melroe harroweeder. The Melroe family business is featured in the Fargo Forum newspaper article.

After the passing of E.G. Melroe, son Cliff Melroe named president of Melroe Manufacturing Company, running the company with his three brothers and brother-in-law.

Keller brothers -- Louis and Cyril -- of Rothsay, Minnesota, invent three-wheeled loader.

Melroe brothers introduced to Kellers, who join the company to design and produce Melroe self-propelled loader, model M60.

Next generation M200 Melroe self-propelled loader introduced.

M400, first 4-wheel-drive skid-steer loader launches. Melroe contracts with Farmhand to reach broader agricultural market.

Melroe Manufacturing Company sales hit $1 million, 100 employees on payroll.

After nearly exiting the loader business, Melroe redesigns and rebrands its skid-steer loader, introduced as model M440 “Melroe Bobcat” skid-steer loader with familiar white and red color scheme.

Melroe Manufacturing Company sales hit $6 million, 200 on payroll.

Builds 4000th windrow pickup in Gwinner. Employees gather to celebrate.

1000th Bobcat loader built in Gwinner.

Melroe distribution expands to Europe with Luff & Smith license agreement to manufacture Bobcat loaders in Southampton, England. After two years, the agreement ends and a permanent Melroe Ltd. office is set up in Southampton.

“Bobcat Square Dance” film spreads the Bobcat story in an entertaining way, using music and four dancing Bobcat machines to demonstrate Bobcat maneuverability. The film was often shown on the Captain Kangaroo show in the 1960s and 1970s.

Melroe brothers expand their agricultural product line and purchase Reiten Manufacturing of Cooperstown, North Dakota, a maker of moldboard plows. Melroe product family now includes windrow pickup, harroweeder, chisel plow and Bobcat loader. By this time, Bobcat sales account for 65% of the company’s business.

In a rare television interview, Cliff and Roger Melroe take viewers inside the Gwinner factory. The brothers tell of the company’s rapid growth, and the opportunity provided by their exciting new product – the Bobcat loader.

Gwinner manufacturing complex expands to eight buildings.

Sales top $25 million. Growing any larger requires Melroe brothers to either take their company public or find a buyer. In the end, they agree to sell to Clark Equipment Company of Buchanan, Michigan, a manufacturer of Clark forklifts, Michigan wheel loaders, road graders, axles and transmissions. Clark had tried and failed to build its own skid-steer loader, so buying Melroe is a logical alternate choice.

“Bobcat is a Farm Boy at Heart” film entertains as it shows loader farm applications. The film intro briefly tells the history of Melroe agricultural products and how the Bobcat loader came to be.

With new money from Clark, the Melroe Division of Clark buys Kirschmann Manufacturing Company of Bismarck, North Dakota, and its Spra-Coupe self-propelled crop sprayer business.

Production of large-frame Bobcat 974/975 and 825 models expands into a former Clark trailer factory in Spokane, Washington. The plant closes in 1980 and production moves back to North Dakota.

Clark’s Melroe Division sales top $210 million, 2,100 on payroll.

Bobcat celebrates the production of its 100,000th skid-steer loader.

The first welding robot is installed in Gwinner factory to make buckets.

After the Recession, Melroe sells off its agricultural products and closes three factories. More Bobcat products move to Bismarck; Gwinner plant expands.

Melroe acquires trencher business from Midmark and enters the compact excavator business with OEM products.