Bobcat Expands Disaster Relief Partnership with The Salvation Army, Reaching $1.35M in Equipment Donations Since 2024
WEST FARGO, N.D. (May 19, 2026) – In an era of increasingly frequent and severe weather events, Bobcat Company has announced a major expansion of its partnership with The Salvation Army.
By donating an additional $465,000 in critical equipment, Bobcat has brought its total contributions to the disaster relief organization to more than $1.35 million since 2024. This expanded commitment ensures that emergency response teams have the mobile power, lighting, and material-handling solutions needed to support communities during natural disasters.
Strengthening the Fleet: Where the New Equipment is Headed
Bobcat’s latest contribution of portable generators and light towers will be strategically deployed to strengthen the fleet across multiple territories. The new equipment will support six Salvation Army locations across the United States:
- Alaska
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- New York
This adds to Bobcat’s 2024 donation of 23 critical assets—including forklifts, generators, and light towers—which were heavily deployed across the Southeast to aid recovery efforts following Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The Rising Demand for Mobile Power in Disaster Relief
The partnership comes at a crucial time. Data from the National Centers for Environmental Information highlights a drastic rise in severe weather events:
| Time Period | Average Annual Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters (U.S.) |
| 1980s | 3 per year |
| 2020–2024 | 23 per year |
Because natural disasters are becoming more frequent, emergency response organizations heavily rely on robust industrial equipment to operate continuously when local infrastructure fails.
“With reliable equipment like generators, forklifts, and light towers, we can provide critical services—meals, distribution of emergency supplies, and emotional and spiritual care—without delay. We are deeply grateful for Bobcat’s ongoing partnership.”
— Commissioner Merle Heatwole, National Commander of The Salvation Army
Empowering Communities to Rebuild Faster
Bobcat’s compact equipment is routinely seen on the frontlines of cleanup and recovery efforts following hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and wildfires. This corporate investment builds directly on the company’s legacy of supporting the areas where its employees, dealers, and customers live and work.
“Our mission at Bobcat is to empower people to accomplish more, and that includes lifting up communities in their time of greatest need,” said Mike Ballweber, president of Doosan Bobcat North America, Inc. “By deepening our partnership with The Salvation Army, we’re helping their teams reach more individuals, deliver more services, and make a greater impact when it matters most.”
Learn More & Get Involved
- To discover how Bobcat empowers local communities, visit bobcat.com.
- To support or learn more about emergency response initiatives, visit salvationarmyusa.org.
