An insight to Bandit Industries

GlobalNewark · February 19, 2013

Please take the time to read this interesting article together with a few pics.

Bandit Industries Company Profile

The year was 1983. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi was drawing millions of dollars at the box office. Chrysler introduced the minivan to the world. And Mike Morey Sr. built the very first Bandit chipper—a 12-inch capacity Model 100 Brush Bandit—in a 6,000 square-foot converted repair shop with the assistance of just six employees. Upon its completion, he took a 15,000 mile tour to market his creation, receiving his first order for five chippers in December.

Oh how times have changed.

Since introducing that original Brush Bandit chipper in 1983, Mike Morey Sr. has launched his company and the cuddly raccoon known as ‘Bandit' into industry powerhouse status in what has seemed like the blink of an eye. That first stand-alone building in 1983 was soon eclipsed as the company grew rapidly, expanding or building a new facility every two years. Present manufacturing facilities exceed 240,000 square feet at two locations, Millbrook and North Winn—the latter of which recently received its own expansion to better accommodate large equipment production in response to increasing biomass markets. Bandit Industries, Inc. is now a full-line manufacturer of unique hand-fed and whole tree chippers, stump grinders, waste reduction Beast recycler units, and high powered forestry mowers.

With each expansion, Bandit sought out and hired hard-working, local talent to keep growing in the right direction. From the "original six" in 1983, Bandit now flourishes with nearly 350 employees. Bandit's strength lies heavily in the quality and commitment of their employees; many have been with the company for over 15 years and have moved their way up into management positions.

In the early '90s, Bandit began to focus on building whole tree chippers for tree service and land clearing contractors. Through regular contact and feedback from customers, Bandit has continually led the whole tree chipping market for durability, reliability and performance. Disc and drum-style whole tree chippers can now be had with capacities up to 36 inches in diameter and over 1000 horsepower, filling 50-foot semi trailers with chips in as little as seven minutes. Innovations in chipper design, aggressive feed systems, and features like optional loaders or self-propelled undercarriages further make Bandit whole tree chippers the class leaders that so many companies appreciate.

In 1995, the Beast entered the scene. These unique waste reduction machines have become extremely popular in the tree care, land clearing, municipal and recycling industries, and they are ideally suited for biomass operations. The patented cuttermill system allows you to cut, split or grind waste material into valuable products, ranging from conventional wood chips to mulch, asphalt, and a unique product call Bio-Sawdust: a ¼-inch minus material ideal for wood pellet production. Bandit currently manufactures four models of Beast Recycler with engine options up to 1200 horsepower.

To meet the growing needs of the industry, Bandit expanded their line of equipment to include high-production stump grinders. The first Bandit stump grinder was introduced in 2003 at the annual TCI Expo and the company hasn't looked back since. Available as towable units, self-propelled with wheels or high-flotation track crawlers, Bandit's comprehensive line of stump grinders are now industry leaders for the tree care, rental and landscaping industries with models to accommodate any kind of operation, large or small.

Experience with stump grinders in the land clearing and site development markets led Bandit to develop a line of extremely capable, high-capacity prime movers outfitted both as forestry mowers and stump grinders. Bandit offers three models that excel in any land clearing operation—the Model 3500, Model 4000, and Model 5000. These machines are quickly taking the land clearing industry by storm thanks to rugged design, ease of maintenance, comfortable accommodations and exceptional power. These versatile machines can wield either a large stump grinder head or a high-capacity forestry mower, all designed in-house by Bandit. Able to clear large areas in dense, difficult terrain, Bandit's line of prime movers with stump grinders and forestry mowers are the latest additions to Bandit Industries.

Bandit's true claim to fame, however, has been the hydraulic-feed hand-fed brush chipper, with more than 50,000 disc and drum units in operation worldwide. From the original 65-horsepower Model 100 Brush Bandit to the largest Model 1990XP with 275 horsepower, Bandit's comprehensive line of hand fed chippers are continually the favorite of companies large and small, from the local tree care specialist to landscapers, large scale land clearers, loggers and more.

In addition to a consistent expansion of facilities and product offerings, Bandit also has the best dealer network in the industry. Bandit dealers provide valuable services and support to their customers on the front lines. Bandit emphasizes dealer training in both sales and service support to ensure that our customers receive the best care. There are currently over 150 dealer locations worldwide in over 50 countries.

In the end, Bandit's customers have remained their number one priority. "We pride ourselves on the number of repeat customers who buy and rent our equipment," said Bandit Industries President Jerry Morey. "Listening to the ideas and suggestions of those who use our equipment has led to the development of many of our products. We consider our relationship with our customers a partnership. It's the success of our customers that has led to our success as a manufacturer."

It takes more than just words to move to the top of the pack, and through the dedication of employees, dealers, sales staff and a strong commitment to quality and customer service, Bandit has proven their rank as an industry leader. That success couldn't be realized without the support and success of the men and women in the logging, tree service, wood waste, land clearing and biomass industries, and Bandit is proud to have earned the trust and respect of so many professionals around the world. As the years progress, rest assured that Bandit will stick to the principles for which the company is known, ensuring its status as an industry leader for many years to come.