About Bandit Industries

Company History

In 1983, original founder Mike Morey Sr. left a prominent position in the woodchipper manufacturing industry with a vision to build a better product. Frustrated by an environment where the needs of product developers and customers were not being heard, Mike decided to pursue his own path.

With the support of his wife and Bandit co-founder, Dianne, and their children, Mike founded a small company called Foremost Fabrications. He purchased a 6,000-square-foot repair shop located in a rural field approximately ten miles west of Mount Pleasant, Michigan. With the help of six employees—and using designs his previous company had rejected—Mike and his team built the first Brush Bandit® chipper, the Model 100.

Once the first machine was completed, Mike took to the road to introduce the new chipper to the market. In addition to its innovative design, which featured the now-famous Slide Box Feed System, Mike made a commitment to durability, honesty, integrity, and unwavering customer support. That commitment became the foundation of the Bandit ownership experience and helped establish the company’s reputation in the industry.

In 1987, Jerry Morey and Dennis Tracy left the same company to join Mike and Dianne as co-owners. Bringing extensive sales and marketing experience, Jerry and Dennis helped shape the company’s growth strategy. That same year, Foremost Fabrications officially became Bandit Industries, Inc.

A key part of Bandit’s strategy was the development of a strong dealer network throughout North America. By partnering with dealers committed to providing exceptional parts, sales, and service support, Bandit established a foundation that continues to be a critical part of the company’s success. Following Dennis Tracy’s passing in 1997, Dianne, Mike, and Jerry became Bandit’s three owners.

Expanding the Product Line

While Bandit began with a complete line of hand-fed chippers, the company continued to expand its product offerings and enter new markets.

In 1990, Bandit pioneered the self-propelled chipper market with the introduction of its first whole-tree track chipper. In 1995, the company entered the horizontal grinder market with the introduction of The Beast®, a powerful grinder that quickly became one of the world’s leading machines for processing waste wood, plastic, roofing shingles, and other materials.

Bandit continued expanding its product portfolio with the development of a stump grinder line, which was introduced at the TCIA show in 2004. In 2006, the company introduced a line of track carriers featuring interchangeable forestry mower and stump grinding heads. Building on the success of these track-mounted machines, Bandit added 60-inch and 72-inch forestry mulcher attachments for skid-steers in 2013.

In 2018, Bandit entered into a unique partnership with ARJES, a company based in Limbach, Germany, becoming its exclusive North American representative for slow-speed shredders. ARJES machines are designed to process a wide range of materials, including construction and demolition waste, chunk wood, concrete, and metal. With this addition, Bandit expanded to six major product lines serving a diverse range of industries and applications.

Growing Manufacturing Capabilities

As Bandit’s product lines and customer base grew, so did its manufacturing capabilities. From its original 6,000-square-foot facility, the company expanded its manufacturing footprint through major building additions approximately every two years, reaching more than 340,000 square feet by 2020.

In 2018, Bandit constructed a 19,600-square-foot parts warehouse to accommodate additional parts staff and inventory. Subsequent expansions added capacity to the stump grinder and Beast assembly areas, as well as the hand-fed pre-assembly area.

In 2022, Bandit began construction of a state-of-the-art material processing center. Upon completion of its planned expansions, Bandit’s total manufacturing footprint is expected to reach approximately 560,000 square feet.

Strategic Growth

At the end of 2021, Bandit announced the acquisition of Trelan, located a short distance from Bandit’s headquarters. Trelan had been manufacturing quality whole-tree, disc-style chippers since the 1970s, further strengthening Bandit’s whole-tree chipper offerings.

In the summer of 2022, Bandit acquired Birch Tank in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The acquisition added approximately 60,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 6,000 square feet of office space to Bandit’s operations.

The Bandit Dealer Network

Bandit’s dealer network has always been an essential part of the company’s success. Bandit dealers make significant investments in personnel, inventory, parts, sales, and service to ensure customers receive the highest level of support.

Many dealers maintain dedicated parts, sales, and service teams, providing customers with the resources they need throughout the ownership experience. With a growing number of dealers joining the network in recent years, Bandit now has more than 250 dealer locations worldwide.

Employee Ownership and the Future

Throughout Bandit’s history, countless employees have played an important role in the company’s success. A commitment to quality, innovation, and dedication has remained central to the Bandit culture and continues to be reflected in the work of its employees.

Recognizing the importance of its people to the company’s long-term success, Dianne, Mike, and Jerry established Bandit as an employee-owned company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 2018.

In January 2024, after serving as Bandit’s President and CEO since 1987, Jerry Morey announced his retirement and appointed Craig Davis as the company’s new President and CEO. Shortly after becoming CEO, Craig announced the formation of a new management board to lead the company into its next chapter.

From a 6,000-square-foot repair shop and a single chipper in 1983 to a global manufacturer with multiple product lines, hundreds of dealer locations, and a growing employee-owned workforce, Bandit’s history has been built on innovation, quality, customer support, and a commitment to doing things the right way.

For additional information please continue to browse the Bandit website, contact a local Bandit dealer, or contact us directly at 800-952-0178 or email marketing@banditchippers.com.