Bandit Industries is expanding its headquarters in Isabella County, Michigan.
The company recently announced two building additions to expand production capacity and add a new, state-of-the-art parts and service facility.
Bandit Industries will invest $1.4 million in the two expansions, and both projects are expected to come online in 2018. This is the second round of expansion in as many years.
“We added manufacturing space 18 months ago and revamped our assembly lines in anticipation of the increased demand,” said Bandit President Jerry Morey. “We continue to invest in our future, not only in facilities and gear, but in our workforce, including training.
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The company also added 38 new employees in 2017 and expects to add another 50 this year.
“Our employees are what set us apart with the pride we take in the equipment built and in the way we take care of our customers. We are proud of what they do and accomplish,” Morey said.
The new parts facility will become home to a central receiving and distribution area, designed to improve the flow of parts and materials to the six major manufacturing facilities. This will free up extra manufacturing space to further increase Bandit’s production capacity.
In the last two years, Bandit has added more than a dozen dealers with more than 30 total locations.
“As our dealer network expands, the need for parts expands right along with it,” said Bandit parts manager Jamie Morey. “This new facility will allow us to respond rapidly to our dealers’ and customers’ parts requests, limiting their downtime and delivering on the promise that we stand behind every Bandit machine sold.”
The parts and service expansion is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2018. As soon as that facility is completed, Bandit will begin work on its new production space, which the company plans to open in the third quarter of 2018.
“Our new dealers are reaching more customers than ever before, driving demand for our products,” said Bandit’s North American sales manager Jason Morey. “Producing enough new units to meet that demand has provided Bandit with a welcome challenge – one that we’re more than ready to meet.”
Bandit Industries added three-quarters of a million dollars of new cutting and steel processing equipment in 2017 to keep up with the demand for parts for its expanding production areas.
The company also introduced a number of new products in 2017 including an entry level stump grinder, several new models of hand fed chippers, a new large capacity self-propelled whole tree chipper, a new intermediate model horizontal grinder, a new forestry mower carrier with mowing and stump grinding capabilities.