Bucyrus International
Encyclopedia
Bucyrus International, Inc. , was an American surface and underground mining equipment company. Founded as Bucyrus Foundry and Manufacturing Company in Bucyrus, Ohio
, in 1880, Bucyrus moved company headquarters to South Milwaukee, Wisconsin
in 1893. In its early history, Bucyrus produced steam shovels. In 2011, the Bucyrus product line included a range of material removal and material handling products used in both surface and underground mining.
Caterpillar Inc.
purchased Bucyrus in a US$8.8 billion transaction that closed on July 8, 2011.
s, operating from its Bucyrus, Ohio headquarters and manufacturing facility. In 1893, Bucyrus moved its operations to South Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In 1904 Bucyrus supplied 77 of the 102 steam shovel
s used to dig the Panama Canal.
The company changed its name to Bucyrus-Erie in 1927 when it merged with the Erie Steam Shovel Company, the country's leading manufacturer of small excavators at that time.
In 1930 Bucyrus joined with the English firm of Ruston & Hornsby Ltd Lincoln, England
, to form the Ruston-Bucyrus
Ltd firm in England. Ruston & Hornsby Ltd were the pre-eminent manufactures of Steam excavators at the time, having started in 1874; the merger gave the company access to previously unavailable world markets. Ruston & Hornsby Ltd sold their share in Ruston-Bucyrus in 1985, during a period of recession and consolidation in the Mining industry, as they divested themselves of non-core businesses to survive.
On February 22, 1993, Bucyrus-Erie filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
, and remained under bankruptcy protection until December 14, 1994.
The company took its current name, Bucyrus International, Inc. in 1997.
Bucyrus built hundreds of large mining machines, as well as construction equipment, in an intense competition against competitor Marion Power Shovel
. Bucyrus acquired Marion Power Shovel
in 1997.
On May 4, 2007, Bucyrus completed the acquisition of the DBT Group, a Lunen, Germany based manufacturer of underground mining equipment, from RAG Coal International AG of Herne, Germany
. Bucyrus acquired DBT because DBT's underground mining equipment complemented Bucyrus' surface mining products.
In February 2010, Bucyrus International completed a US $1.3 billion acquisition of the mining equipment division of Terex Corporation
.
On November 15, 2010, Bucyrus agreed to be acquired by Caterpillar in a transaction valued at US$8.6 billion. Caterpillar said it intended to create a new mining business headquarters at the former Bucyrus headquarters location in South Milwaukee. The transaction closed in mid-2011.
Bucyrus, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,224 people, 5,559 households, and 3,552 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,812.0 people per square mile . There were 5,955 housing units at an average density of 816.0 per square mile...
, in 1880, Bucyrus moved company headquarters to South Milwaukee, Wisconsin
South Milwaukee, Wisconsin
South Milwaukee is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 21,256 at the 2000 census.-Geography:South Milwaukee is located at ....
in 1893. In its early history, Bucyrus produced steam shovels. In 2011, the Bucyrus product line included a range of material removal and material handling products used in both surface and underground mining.
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
purchased Bucyrus in a US$8.8 billion transaction that closed on July 8, 2011.
1880-1927
Bucyrus was an early producer of steam shovelSteam shovel
A steam shovel is a large steam-powered excavating machine designed for lifting and moving material such as rock and soil. It is the earliest type of power shovel or excavator. They played a major role in public works in the 19th and early 20th century, being key to the construction of railroads...
s, operating from its Bucyrus, Ohio headquarters and manufacturing facility. In 1893, Bucyrus moved its operations to South Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In 1904 Bucyrus supplied 77 of the 102 steam shovel
Steam shovel
A steam shovel is a large steam-powered excavating machine designed for lifting and moving material such as rock and soil. It is the earliest type of power shovel or excavator. They played a major role in public works in the 19th and early 20th century, being key to the construction of railroads...
s used to dig the Panama Canal.
The company changed its name to Bucyrus-Erie in 1927 when it merged with the Erie Steam Shovel Company, the country's leading manufacturer of small excavators at that time.
In 1930 Bucyrus joined with the English firm of Ruston & Hornsby Ltd Lincoln, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, to form the Ruston-Bucyrus
Ruston-Bucyrus
Ruston-Bucyrus Ltd was an engineering company established in 1930 and jointly owned by Ruston and Hornsby based in Lincoln, England and Bucyrus-Erie based in Bucyrus, Ohio, the latter of which had operational control and into which the excavator manufacturing operation of Ruston and Hornsby was...
Ltd firm in England. Ruston & Hornsby Ltd were the pre-eminent manufactures of Steam excavators at the time, having started in 1874; the merger gave the company access to previously unavailable world markets. Ruston & Hornsby Ltd sold their share in Ruston-Bucyrus in 1985, during a period of recession and consolidation in the Mining industry, as they divested themselves of non-core businesses to survive.
1980-2011
For a time in the 1980s the company was known as Becor Western following its merger with Western Gear.On February 22, 1993, Bucyrus-Erie filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...
, and remained under bankruptcy protection until December 14, 1994.
The company took its current name, Bucyrus International, Inc. in 1997.
Bucyrus built hundreds of large mining machines, as well as construction equipment, in an intense competition against competitor Marion Power Shovel
Marion Power Shovel
Marion Power Shovel Company designed, manufactured and sold steam shovels, excavators and dragline excavators for use in the construction and mining industries....
. Bucyrus acquired Marion Power Shovel
Marion Power Shovel
Marion Power Shovel Company designed, manufactured and sold steam shovels, excavators and dragline excavators for use in the construction and mining industries....
in 1997.
On May 4, 2007, Bucyrus completed the acquisition of the DBT Group, a Lunen, Germany based manufacturer of underground mining equipment, from RAG Coal International AG of Herne, Germany
Herne, Germany
Herne is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area directly between the cities of Bochum and Gelsenkirchen.- History :Like most other cities in the region Herne was a tiny village until the 19th century...
. Bucyrus acquired DBT because DBT's underground mining equipment complemented Bucyrus' surface mining products.
In February 2010, Bucyrus International completed a US $1.3 billion acquisition of the mining equipment division of Terex Corporation
Terex
Terex Corporation is an American-based diversified global manufacturer of a broad range of heavy equipment for a variety of industries, including construction, infrastructure, quarrying, recycling, surface mining, shipping, transportation, refining, utility and maintenance...
.
On November 15, 2010, Bucyrus agreed to be acquired by Caterpillar in a transaction valued at US$8.6 billion. Caterpillar said it intended to create a new mining business headquarters at the former Bucyrus headquarters location in South Milwaukee. The transaction closed in mid-2011.
Products
Bucyrus owned the Bucyrus, Bucyrus-Erie, Marion, and Ransomes & Rapier brands and provided OEM parts and support services for machinery which bears those brands.Historical
- 4250-W walking dragline, also known as Big MuskieBig MuskieBig Muskie was a coal mining Bucyrus-Erie dragline owned by the Central Ohio Coal Company , weighing nearly and standing nearly 22 stories tall. It operated in the U.S. state of Ohio from 1969 to 1991...
, was built in 1969, with a 220 cubic yards (168.2 m³) bucket and weighed 14,400 tons. Big Muskie's 220 cubic yard bucket is currently sitting outside on McConnellsville, Ohio in a small park dedicated to coal mining. - Two 3850-B stripping shovels built in 1962 and 1964, with bucket capacities of 115 and 145 cu yd (87.9 and 110.9 m3).
- The 2570-W or WS, one of B-E's most popular dragline models with bucket capacities between 120 and 160 cu yd (91.7 and 122.3 m3).
- The Silver SpadeThe Silver Spade350px|thumb|Bucket and cab of The Silver Spade at Harrison Coal and Reclamation Park on [[Ohio State Route 519|Stumptown Road]]The Silver Spade was a giant excavator used for strip mining in southeastern Ohio. Manufactured by Bucyrus-Erie, South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the model 1950-B was one of two...
and its twin the GEM of Egypt, 1950B Stripping shovels, was built in 1965 and 1967 respectively, with a bucket capacity of 80 m³ (104.6 cu yd).The Silver Spade was scrapped in 2007.Many videos can be seen of it working thru Bennetshovel on Youtube.com - The Stripping shovel Big BrutusBig BrutusBig Brutus is the nickname of the Bucyrus-Erie model 1850B electric shovel, which was the second largest of its type in operation in the 1960s and 1970s. It is currently the centerpiece of a mining museum in West Mineral, Kansas.-Description:...
a 1850-B was built in 1962, with a 90 yard bucket. This is known as Big Brutus and currently sits in West MineralWest Mineral, KansasWest Mineral is a city in Cherokee County, Kansas, United States. The population was 243 at the 2000 census. It is the home of Big Brutus, the second largest electric shovel in the world.-Geography:West Mineral is located at...
, Kansas as the huge centerpiece of a museum. - The 1250-B/W and 1260-W walking draglines, with buckets between 33 and 45 cu yd (25.2 and 34.4 m3).
- The 5-W walking dragline, carrying a 5 cubic yards (3.8 m³) bucket and produced until around 1970;
- Marion Power Shovel Company of MarionMarion, OhioMarion is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Marion County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus....
, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
designed the crawler transporter used to carry Saturn VSaturn VThe Saturn V was an American human-rated expendable rocket used by NASA's Apollo and Skylab programs from 1967 until 1973. A multistage liquid-fueled launch vehicle, NASA launched 13 Saturn Vs from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida with no loss of crew or payload...
rockets and Space ShuttleSpace ShuttleThe Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
s to their launch padLaunch padA launch pad is the area and facilities where rockets or spacecraft lift off. A spaceport can contain one or many launch pads. A typical launch pad consists of the service and umbilical structures. The service structure provides an access platform to inspect the launch vehicle prior to launch....
s.