“Eagle 88 Enterprises is a family-owned and operated business with four Bobcat® units and many attachments. We are celebrating 20 years of service based in Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada, known as the ‘Hub of the North.’ In the four short summer months, we get nearly 24 hours of daylight and run long days. Even in the other eight months of winter, our Bobcat machines feel right at home working north of the 60th parallel.

“Our fleet of Bobcat machines has really unleashed the potential of our small family-run enterprise, where cost management is vital. Our motto, ‘No Time for Down Time,’ is something we take very seriously. Being this far north, parts are a minimum of 48 hours away by truck. We rely on these great units to work day in and day out and make us stand above the rest. We work on projects that range from delicate work around new building construction to huge capital projects such as the Mackenzie River Bridge, which was started this past spring. The bridge spans the world’s longest freshwater river and will be completed in 2012. We use the power of our Bobcat machines to clear the lines for power companies on icy winter roads and keep the lights on in remote northern communities.

“In April 2007, we were working in the Rocky Mountains on the border between the Northwest Territories and British Columbia. Our two Bobcat T300 compact track loaders worked until late November, clearing trees and brush and beginning road construction for the massive $7 billion Mackenzie Valley pipeline. There is still much work to be done and Bobcat will be there from the beginning to end. Sticking to our motto of ‘No Time for Down Time,’ we must have only the best of the best while working in some of the harshest climates on earth. Whether the temperature is 40 degrees Celsius or 40 degrees below zero Celsius (that’s a 140-degree difference in Fahrenheit), our machines just have to work.

Ray Benoit Jr.

“Working above the 60th parallel, we face many unique challenges. You can drive all day without seeing any other people. There’s no cellular phone service, no radio, and truly untamed wildlife, but the biggest challenge has to be the elements. Snow, rain, mud, rock, permafrost — you name it, our Bobcat machines have worked it. On one project, our T300 ran for 24 hours a day from mid-September to December 2005 without a minute lost to mechanical problems. We reached maximum productivity with our T300s. We got the most bang for our buck and that is one of the many reasons we return time and time again to Bobcat. We get great service from Dennis and Cliff at our Bobcat of the Peace dealer in Grande Prairie, Alberta. Bobcat lets us compete in all seasons and all conditions, and provides great service throughout the Northwest Territories and the Yukon.”