For contractors who are looking for ways to streamline their operation and at the same time, increase productivity, the Boxer® compact utility loader, manufactured by Morbark®, Inc., is capable of handling work of all kinds. Morbark purchased the Boxer Equipment product line from Mertz Manufacturing, LLC in late 2012. Following a March 29, 2013 unveiling of the first unit produced on the Winn, MI, assembly line, sales have continued to increase month over month. New markets are opening rapidly as customers are introduced to the proven lineup of equipment, as they realize the value of having a “full-time employee” without the reliability health and safety issues that often accompany asking workers to do heavy lifting, digging, loading and other tasks that can cause injury or possibly death.
According to John Foote, Vice President of Sales for Morbark, the rapid number of sales of the Boxer units through Morbark’s existing network of dealers, as well as a growing number of Boxer distributors, has suggested that the number of ways a Boxer is able to help contractors to get their projects accomplished is limited only by the customer’s imagination.
“In the first few weeks of production after we began manufacturing the Boxers here in Winn, we could immediately see the broad scope of markets that these products could fill,” he said. “Not only did landscapers, rental companies and lawn and garden customers purchase these units, but farmers, loggers, and other recycling and tree care companies could see the value in owning one of these mini-skid steers.”
Boxer Equipment has four models available, including the 120 dedicated trencher and the 320, 322D and 532DX, which are built to handle a full complement of more than 50 universal compact utility attachments. The Boxer’s standard quick attach system enables the user to switch quickly and easily from a bucket to forks to auger or other tools for optimum on-the-job flexibility and bottom-line performance. A feature unique to the Boxer 500 series is its variable-width, rubber track undercarriage, which allows the units to enter through gates as narrow as three feet wide.
Foote said that the addition of the Boxer Equipment line to dealers’ product offerings has increased traffic to the dealerships as well. With these new products becoming available nationally, contractors are stopping to investigate how these new tools could help their businesses.
Featured recently at what was called the Boxer Rodeo at the fall Morbark Demo Days event October 11, dealers and customers could see firsthand how nimbly and quickly these mini-skid steers could do work while navigating tight areas, something that often takes place on the jobsite every day.
When Morbark acquired the Boxer Equipment line, they took ownership of all product designs, intellectual property and manufacturing tools, as well as existing parts, completed units and other inventory. Morbark was looking to follow their existing strategy to build equipment that creates opportunities for their customers, dealer network and employees. More importantly, they were looking to do this from the ground up, in similar fashion to how they manufacture all of their other lines of equipment.
With the Boxer Equipment line, Morbark is able to offer new opportunities for customers in Morbark’s existing tree service and rental markets. Additionally, it expands their market presence and current equipment offerings to a broader range of industries and end users. These include but are not limited to, landscapers, irrigation and trenching contractors, property owners, and general contractors of all sizes.
Morbark Establishes Boxer® Equipment Distributor Network
Since acquiring the Boxer® Equipment line from Mertz Manufacturing, LLC, at the end of 2012, Morbark, Inc., has been working to establish a worldwide distributor network for the compact utility loaders.
Boxer® Equipment distributors recently signed include:
- Abele Tractor & Equipment Company, Inc., in Albany, N.Y.
- AGC Irrigation Supplies & Equipment, with three locations on Long Island, N.Y.
- Alexander Equipment Company, in Lisle, Ill.
- Bierschbach Equipment & Supply Company, with four locations in Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota
- Cobb County Tractor Company, with two locations in the greater Atlanta area
- Deacon Equipment Company, in Bloomsburg, Pa.
- Essco Distributors, Inc., in Bay Shore, N.Y.
- Gaston Rentals, Inc., with three locations in the Charlotte, N.C., metro area
- Grinding & Drilling, Inc., in Desboro, Ontario, Canada
- Harrington’s Equipment Company, in Fairfield, Pa.
- Heritage Tractor, Inc., with 10 locations in Kansas and Missouri
- Knox Equipment Rentals, Inc., in West Chester, Pa.
- Meade Tractor, with seven locations in Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia
- Newtown Power Equipment, Inc., in Newtown, Conn.
- Nortrax Northeast, with 10 locations in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York
- Nortrax Southeast, with nine locations in Florida
- Queensland Mini Diggers PTY LTD, in Sumner Park, Queensland, Australia
- Schmidt Equipment, Inc., with five locations in Massachusetts
- Top Notch Equipment, in North Plymouth, Minn.
- Van Wall Equipment, with 12 locations throughout Iowa, Illinois, Kansas and Nebraska
- White Oak Equipment, Inc., with four locations in eastern Virginia
- Wilder Motor & Equipment Co., in Nashville, Tenn.
Abele Tractor & Equipment Company, Inc.; Alexander Equipment Company; Cobb County Tractor Company; Essco Distributors, Inc.; Grinding & Drilling, Inc.; Newtown Power Equipment, Inc.; Nortrax Northeast; Nortrax Southeast; White Oak Equipment, Inc.; and Wilder Motor & Equipment Co. are also authorized Morbark tree care equipment dealers. Alexander Equipment Company, Nortrax Northeast and Nortrax Southeast also carry Morbark’s industrial equipment.
For more information on the Boxer, visit one of the listed dealerships, check out www.boxerequipment.com, or contact Morbark at 800-831-0042.