Clark Michigan was the name of Clark Equipment’s division for large earthmoving machinery. It began with the purchase of Michigan Power Shovel in 1953, made wheel loaders and dozers, and was sold to Volvo in 1982.
Clark Michigan at a glance
| Parent | Clark Equipment Company |
|---|---|
| Division formed | 1953 |
| Origin | Michigan Power Shovel Co, purchased by Clark |
| Products | wheel loaders, dozers and other large earthmoving equipment |
| Added in 1966 | Hancock Manufacturing Company of Lubbock, Texas, maker of scraper bowls |
| Sold to | Volvo |
| Year sold | 1982 |
| Clark Equipment later | acquired by Ingersoll Rand in 1995 and sold to Doosan International in 2007 |
The only available source describes Clark Equipment as a whole and its earthmoving division; it does not list individual Clark Michigan models, so no model specifications are given here.
History of the Clark Michigan
Michigan Power Shovel and the earthmoving division
From the 1920s until the 1960s, Clark Equipment Company made a series of acquisitions that opened access to new markets. In 1953 it purchased the Michigan Power Shovel Co and developed a new division dedicated to large-scale earthmoving equipment. That business, known as Clark Michigan, was associated with wheel loaders and dozers. In 1966 Clark added Hancock Manufacturing Company of Lubbock, Texas, which made scraper bowls.
Sale to Volvo
Clark continued to grow, but in the 1960s and again in the 1980s many businesses were sold. In 1982 the company sold its wheel loader and dozer division to Volvo, ending Clark’s ownership of the Michigan earthmoving line. Clark Equipment itself was acquired by Ingersoll Rand in 1995 and sold to Doosan International of South Korea in 2007.
Design and features
- Large earthmoving focus: the division was set up for large-scale earthmoving equipment.
- Wheel loaders and dozers: the two product lines named when the division was sold to Volvo in 1982.
- Scraper bowls: added through the 1966 purchase of Hancock Manufacturing Company of Lubbock, Texas.
- Acquisition-driven growth: the division belonged to a company that grew by buying other makers from the 1920s to the 1960s.
Clark Michigan versions
- Wheel loaders: one of the two lines named in the 1982 sale to Volvo.
- Dozers: the second line named in the same sale.
- Scraper bowls: earthmoving equipment contributed by Hancock Manufacturing from 1966.
Clark’s motorhome is described in the Clark Cortez article, and the forklift side of the business in Clark CGP 20. More Clark machines are in the Clark collection.
Sources
- Clark Equipment Company, English Wikipedia: division formation, acquisitions and sale to Volvo
