NILES TOWNSHIP — A brand-new Bobcat retailer will soon open shop along S. 11th Street.

Hull Lift Truck Inc., a material handler dealership, is investing $1 million in a Bobcat of Michiana facility at 2622 S. 11th St, located next to Karts Are Us 2.

Construction on the 10,000 square-foot facility began in July and is expected to wrap up in January. An official opening date has not been set at this time, but is anticipated to be sometime at the begging of 2019.

The facility will sell Bobcat-brand equipment, including skid steer loaders, mini track loaders, utility vehicles and other material handling machinery. Customers can also rent equipment and visit the shop to have equipment repaired.

Brian Hull, the president of Hull Lift Truck Incorporated, said they intend to hire about 10 people to operate the facility.

Hull Lift Truck Inc. is an Elkhart-based company with stores across the northwest Indiana and western Michigan region. Hull said he wanted to build his next operation in Niles to help serve more customers.

“We decided it was time to move to Niles,” Hull said. “Niles has much more business activity. The property that we bought and are developing has high visibility and exposure to potential customers.”

Hull said he expects customers across Berrien and Cass counties as well as Indiana to be drawn to Niles for the business.

Bobcat of Michiana stores are located in Elkhart and Riverside, Michigan. The Hull Lift Truck Inc. business has been in Hull’s family since the 1960s. He is a third-generation operator, who said he is honored to carry on his family’s legacy.

“We believe we operate the business as an extended family,” Hull said. “And our culture reflects a lot of the values you would value in your own family. We think that’s an asset to our employees and our customers. We feel they get a different level of service.”

There are a few things Hull said he looks forward to as the business prepares to open.

“Making new friends,” Hull said. “The whole purpose is to grow the breadth of our business. We want to see new customers. We want to enhance the ability to take care of our existing customers.”

He also said he anticipates the store adding to Niles Township’s growing business district.

“We see Bobcat of Michiana Niles being a destination,” Hull said. “Customers will want to come there, look at inventory and see what we have to offer.”

Bobcat of Michiana will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. To learn more about the company, visit bobcatofmichiana.com.