Bachtold Bros. has acquired mower manufacturer Roof Manufacturing, which will be relocated from its Riverside, Calif., headquarters to Bachtold's facility in Gibson, Ill.
Bachtold, which manufactures walk-behind field and brush mowers and log splitters, will continue producing the Roof line of mowers.
I am all-thumbs when it comes to tools," said Bill Holland, CEO of U.K.-based United Dominion Industries, which owns Compaction America, manufacturer of the Bomag and Stow lines in the United States. "I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, and my buddies wouldn't even let me hold the light when they were working on their cars."
Good, then, that plenty of experienced Bomag workers were available to share their knowledge of gears and gadgets at the recent open house for Bomag Light Equipment's new home. The 128,000-square-foot facility in Conklin, N.Y., will manufacture concrete and mortar mixers, small ride-on rollers, cutting equipment, concrete placement and finishing tools, and heavy-duty trash pumps. To keep up with the variety of lines, the plant features "a cellular strategy" - a process in which mini-factories, or cells, are organized around the major product line, allowing much needed flexibility.
"The process reduces material handling and inventory, and increases throughput," said Bob Patterson, general manager for Bomag LED. "Having the luxury of designing the process for maximum efficiency and then building the physical plant around that design is the ideal way to improve productivity."
And with space for growth, Bomag hopes to expand the division with new product introductions.
"United Dominion has put in place the prerequisites for making the Bomag Light Equipment Division and the Bomag and Stow brands leaders in the U.S. marketplace - the largest construction market in the world," said Lothar Wahl, president, machinery segment, United Dominion.
