Special to IFN
In a new partnership with The University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s William States Lee College of Engineering, Bobcat Company is supporting the next generation of engineers, supply chain experts and STEM professionals with a $200,000 donation for scholarships for students in the engineering college as well as the Belk College of Business and the College of Computing and Informatics.
The partnership will also expand the company’s Student Development Program on the UNC Charlotte campus by creating an unmatched workplace for participants and a talent pipeline for students embarking on their careers in North Carolina and beyond.
“We are honored to support the next generation of groundbreaking innovators and engineers,” said Mike Ballweber, president of Doosan Bobcat North America. “Our collaboration with UNC Charlotte is a gamechanger for both the university and Bobcat, fostering opportunities for the STEM leaders of tomorrow and reinforcing our mission of empowering people to accomplish more.”
For more than a decade, Bobcat’s Student Development Program has nurtured high-potential engineering students at premier institutions across the nation by offering part-time work opportunities that support their college education while connecting the Bobcat team with skilled future engineers.
Bobcat’s Student Development Program at UNC Charlotte will likewise provide a dedicated workspace for participants, complete with campus workstations. Participating students will also have access to Bobcat professionals and experiential learning through hands-on projects that provide valuable, real-world experiences.
“Bobcat is showcasing how industry and academia can together lead by providing opportunities for the next generation of talent in technology-related fields,” said Rob Keynton, dean of the William States Lee College of Engineering. “The State of North Carolina has become an engineering hub for a variety of industries that rely on skilled engineers to move innovation forward. This partnership with Bobcat will provide a tremendous opportunity for our students and create a place where a company and college meet and collaborate.”
Bobcat’s $200,000 donation to UNC Charlotte will also support scholarships over the next three years for students studying in STEM, supply chain and logistics programs.
The scholarship program and Student Development Program are key aspects of Bobcat’s partnership with UNC Charlotte. Beyond these initiatives, Bobcat employees will engage with the university across a range of academic areas through collaborative efforts such as research projects, senior design experiences, classroom and faculty engagement, and emerging partnerships in fields like supply chain management. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to student development, innovation and long-term collaboration in the Charlotte area.
Bobcat has a long history of supporting STEM education and serving the communities where it operates. UNC Charlotte is in close proximity to the Bobcat manufacturing facility in Statesville. In 2022, Bobcat completed a 600,000-square-foot expansion of the Statesville manufacturing, warehouse and distribution complex. The $70 million investment doubled the facility’s footprint to nearly 1.2 million square feet and added 62 acres to the current 92-acre campus, making it the company’s largest manufacturing campus worldwide. The partnership with UNC Charlotte will also support workforce development for the Statesville facility.