Not many people turn their childhood passion into a profession, but Jarrod Steck has done exactly that. Steck grew up on a farm in Ohio, where he spent many hours using machinery to make farm work easier. One of his fondest memories is the annual day he was allowed to miss school to attend the farm show with his family and see the latest equipment innovations.

Fast forward several decades, and Steck has built a career helping people across the globe accomplish more with compact machinery, like the equipment that fascinated him as a child.

Leading the Way at Doosan Bobcat

As Vice President of Material Handling at Doosan Bobcat North America, Steck oversees operations across the continent from the company’s Buford location, which includes a recently renovated 200,000-square-foot office and warehouse. Serving as the company’s material handling “nerve center for North America,” as Steck calls it, the Buford location houses 180 employees in diverse roles, including sales, service, marketing, product management, parts fulfillment, and lightweight engineering. While the company’s material handling products are manufactured near its global headquarters in South Korea, North American orders are often shipped to the Buford facility for customer-specific modifications.

In addition to his work with dealers and customers in North America, Steck collaborates closely with the global team. “I serve as the conduit between our global operations and the team here in North America,” he says. “We’re a global company with a hometown feel. We pride ourselves on being reliable and acting with integrity as we serve our customers.”

A Global Leader in Compact Equipment

Doosan Bobcat is well-known for inventing the skid-steer loader—compact equipment with a bucket attached to the front—which revolutionized the compact equipment industry 65 years ago. “Just as some people use the brand name Kleenex to refer to tissues, people often use our brand name to refer to skid-steer loaders. But we’re much more than that machine now. We’re a global company with multiple product lines and different customer bases, and we continue to innovate in the electric machinery space,” says Steck.

Today, Doosan Bobcat designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes compact equipment for the construction, landscaping, agriculture, grounds maintenance, utility, and mining industries. The company produces forklifts, loaders, mowers, tractors, excavators, and more. “Whether you’re a homeowner managing a few acres or a contractor working on major industrial projects, we have equipment that can empower you to accomplish more,” Steck adds.

Strengthening Community Ties Through the Gwinnett Chamber

Steck is relatively new to Georgia, having relocated here just a year ago, and Doosan Bobcat is a newer member of the Gwinnett Chamber. However, Steck is already seeing the benefits of being part of this group of business leaders. “Within Doosan Bobcat, we have a strong sense of community and know that relationships matter,” he says. “We face many of the same challenges as other businesses, and it’s helpful to connect with other leaders in the Gwinnett Chamber. Sharing ideas and working together makes us all stronger.”

Eager to deepen his involvement in the local business community, Steck looks forward to meeting more leaders in Gwinnett and exploring how Doosan Bobcat can support other businesses in the area. “We’re excited to be here and to build lasting relationships within the community,” he says.


Translate »