Is Bobcat Closing Its Operations In Bismarck?

That’s the big rumor everybody keeps emailing me about today. Obviously a lot of jobs, not to mention a lot of taxpayer dollars, are at stake. The state, and the city of Bismarck, has sunk a lot of “economic development” money into Bobcat including a multi-million dollar intermodal depot at the airport in Bismarck that, though it was billed as being infrastructure for several industries, really was built with taxpayer money almost exclusively for Bobcat.
So is Bobcat in Bismarck closing? I have absolutely nothing firm to confirm that they are, but I do hear some other interesting rumors which seem to put the answer at “yes.”
Rumors about an expansion of the Gwinner plant and a consolidation of operations.
Rumors about white-collar types at Bobcat in Bismarck having put their homes on the market.
Rumors about union officials not getting answers to their questions from Bobcat corporate.
But that’s all everything is at this point. Rumor.
I’ll be as sad as anyone to see Bobcat close, but not surprised. North Dakota’s economy hasn’t taken the shellacking the national economy has, but Bobcat sells to an international market. So as a company, they’ve taken a hit.
But for me the real issue here isn’t so much whether or not Bobcat is going to close – businesses come and businesses go – but rather, again, the “economic development” money sunk into Bobcat. All private businesses have an element of risk to them. The taxpayers shouldn’t have to be exposed to that risk.