BLOG: Generosity Makes Sense

Mon June 13, 2016
Jeff Winke

Construction people are good. They generally are positive members of their community. Look at any construction contractor or local equipment dealer and peel away a few layers and you'll see evidence of their generosity. Yeah, they are pushovers for ads in the local high school yearbook and boxes of Girl Scout cookies, but they also can be generous with time, people, and equipment for other good causes.

Case in point: Bobcat Plus, the largest Bobcat Company dealer in the state of Wisconsin with locations in Butler, DePere, and Appleton. Mike Gates, who is with Bobcat Plus, receives a call for help a few years back from his good customer Don Payne, who runs a manufacturing foundry where he puts his Bobcat skid-steer loaders through the paces.

“I need to rent a skid steer loader for a few days,” Don said.

Mike's first thought was that Don must be facing a production crunch with his manufacturing company. After a little probing, he learned that the compact machine is needed for the other life Don leads as co-owner, with his wife, of 34 alpaca and their involvement with the Annual Wisconsin Alpaca & Fiber Fest. The rental skid steer loader is needed for set up and breakdown of the all-volunteer, nonprofit competition and show, which is in its third year in 2016.

The alpaca fest occupies the two main exhibit buildings of the Washington County Fair Park in West Bend, Wisconsin. The show had 83 Midwestern alpaca farms participating this year from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Ohio. Additionally, there were vendors, fiber artists, suppliers, experts who teach seminars ranging from introductory breeding practices to advanced husbandry, and the show holds dozens of competitions in a show ring.

To help out a good customer and to support the annual alpaca show, Bobcat Plus delivered a skid steer loader for free of charge use to help with the show set up and tear down. In exchange, the show reciprocated the generosity by providing a display space where an all-wheel-drive Bobcat 3650 utility vehicle with 1,200-pound payload capacity could be displayed. A nice example of you scratch my back…I'll scratch yours.

This story also appears on Construction Equipment Guide.