David Rowles is bringing his worldly equipment experience as Bobcat leadership.
Rowles, who is three months into his tenure as president of Bobcat after replacing Scott Nelson, is not new to the company. He has 29 years of experience with Ingersoll Rand and was most recently Bobcat’s vice president of sales and marketing in Asia Pacific and Latin America.
Rowles feels confident in the direction the company is heading.
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“Bobcat has been blessed with strong leadership,” he says. “Scott Nelson left the business very solid.”
While general construction sales are strong, Rowles concedes the company faces challenges due to the softness of the residential homebuilding market. (Read about the company's third quarter results.) Outdoor landscaping and home improvement sales are tied to that, he says.
“Lowes and Home Depot sales reflect those numbers,” he says.
Steel prices were a major issue in 2005, he says, adding it wasn’t a problem exclusive to Bobcat. “It affected everyone in the industry,” he says.
Other factors recently affecting the industry are fuel prices and rising interest rates.
Problems in the homebuilding segment wouldn’t be as much of a factor for Bobcat in other parts of the world.
“Here in the U.S., Bobcat is used more in residential construction and landscape, where in Asia and Latin America, there are more heavy construction uses,” he says.
It is this variety of markets that keeps Bobcat constantly viable, he adds.
“Bobcat can remain strong because it is in several markets,” he says. “It is general construction, and it has a presence in general rental. Also, in farming and ag, we have been relatively consistent. We focus on these different market segments so if one moderates, we can look for another to offset it.”
New products introduced this fall include a new version of an all-wheel-drive work vehicle with multi-attachment capabilities. There are also three new models of excavators that are being introduced at various trade shows.
The company will continue to bring big products to the market and focus on different sizes and classes, Rowles adds.
“Bobcat will continue to invest in innovative products,” he says. “I’m excited about the strong product development in place. You’ll continue to see new prod from Bobcat in the next months and years.”
Rowles now resides near Bobcat’s headquarters in West Fargo, N.D. His list of past residences includes Pennsylvania, Delaware, Georgia, Singapore and most recently Charlotte, N.C.