NILES CHARTER TOWNSHIP — The bobcat population in Niles Charter Township grew larger Friday morning. As the Brandywine Community School Bobcats were midway through classes, Bobcat of Michiana hosted its grand opening a short drive away at 2622 S. 11th St.

Bobcat staff, the Greater Niles Chamber of Commerce, chamber members and community members gathered at 11 a.m. to view the new facility, celebrate a ribbon cutting and eat a classic summer grill meal of hot dogs, hamburgers and pulled pork.

The business is the second owned by Hull Lift Truck Incorporated, of which Bobcat of Michiana is a
subsidiary of. Unlike its Elkhart counterpart, the Niles location is focused on Bobcats only. The other location is also the site of Hull Lift Truck.

On hand are certified technicians, parts staff, sales personnel and servicers. Two technicians are also available to make repairs to Bobcats off-site at a renter’s or owner’s location.

“It’s special in the fact that we have a new facility for not only our employees but for our customers,” said president Brian Hull. “It’s important because it marks the next step in our evolution and our growth of our business to take care of our Bobcat customers.”

The store will provide a variety of Bobcat products, whose vehicles and various attachments can cater to a number of needs, from snow removal, to digging to mowing to loading.

“Bobcat really is the swiss army knife of compact equipment,” Hulls said. “The unit really is just the beginning. It’s all the attachments that really enhance the value and utility of it.”

Hull appreciates the brand’s versatility, just as he appreciates its back story. Bobcat was the brand that arose from the first skid loader, a three-wheeled front-end variety invented by brothers Cyril and Louis Keller in Rothsay, Minnesota in 1957 to help clean up turkey manure.

Now, Hull is ready to share the longtime brand’s products with his clientele, some new, at a more convenient location.

Hull said the site was chosen because it is between South Bend and Niles. It took some time finding and more time for construction, but he is proud of the result.

“This facility is designed to enhance the services and the customer service to our customers,” he said. “We’re more centrally located in southwest Michigan, and we anticipate our customers to come to this facility instead of Elkhart.”

Bobcat of Michiana’s Niles location is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.