IT'S THE NEWS BOBCAT EMPLOYEES IN GWINNER AND BISMARCK HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. PRODUCTION LINES WILL BE BACK IN OPERATION AT BOTH MANUFACTURING PLANTS MONDAY AS PLANNED. THE COMPANY LAID OFF ABOUT 2,000 EMPLOYEES IN MID-DECEMBER FOR SIX WEEKS BUT THE SHUTDOWN WAS EXTENDED 2 WEEKS BECAUSE SALES OF BOBCATS EQUIPMENT HAD NOT PICKED UP AS HOPED. TRAVIS SWANSON, VICE PRESIDENT OF UNITED STEELWORKERS UNION LOCAL 560 IN GWINNER SAYS THAT'S CHANGED. HE SAYS THE UNION AND THE COMPANY WENT OVER THE NUMBERS AND HE SAYS "THERE ARE SOME SALES THERE SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO WORK FOR A PERIOD OF TIME..WE'VE BUILT A DECENT BACKLOG." BOBCAT COMPANY IS OWNED BY A SOUTH KOREAN COMPANY AND IS BASED IN WEST FARGO. ITS PLANTS MAKE SKID-STEER LOADERS, MINI-TRACK LOADERS AND UTILITY WORK MACHINES. 2/12/09 DONTHOMASHANEY == (AUDIO CLIP SEZ "WE JUST WENT OVER THE NUMBERS AND THERE ARE SOME SALES THERE SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO WORK FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SO OVER THE 8 WEEKS (OF THE SHUTDOWN) WE HAVE BUILT A DECENT BACKLOG.")
