(West Fargo, N.D.) — Doosan Bobcat, a global manufacturer of compact equipment, has announced plans for a $26 million expansion of its Litchfield, Minn. manufacturing facility. The investment will enable meeting an increased demand for Bobcat’s growing line of compact equipment and attachments.

The Litchfield announcement coincides with the official opening this week of Doosan Bobcat’s nearly $2 million investment in a new Global Collaboration Center in downtown Minneapolis. The center serves as a centralized location where some elements of the company’s global functions work, host global meetings and accelerate innovation.

“These investments demonstrate our commitment to our presence in Minnesota, which is a major manufacturing hub and now a center for our global operations,” said Scott Park, chief executive officer and president of Doosan Bobcat.

Located approximately 65 miles west of Minneapolis, Doosan Bobcat’s investment in Litchfield will modernize the existing production facility by adding new paint lines, a climate-controlled environment, assembly line upgrades and other updates. When completed, the project will more than triple the size of the current footprint and expand the facility to nearly 200,000 square feet. Once fully operational, the expanded facility is also expected to triple its workforce, from the current 100 employees to an anticipated 300 full time employees, which will significantly impact the area’s local economy.

Construction is underway, with full completion expected by September 2020. The Litchfield facility has been a part of Doosan Bobcat since 2004, and today manufactures attachments for Doosan Bobcat loaders and excavators for the North American market.

Bobcat continues to increase its manufacturing footprint with investments in facilities across North America. Recently, the company announced a $17 million investment in Gwinner, N.D., and an $11 million investment in Statesville, N.C. These efforts are part of Doosan Bobcat’s long term strategic growth initiatives as a global leader in the compact equipment industry, in addition to demonstrating its long-term commitment to employees and communities.