Gehl Unveils Chromed-Out Skid Loader to Commemorate 150th Anniversary

 

The interior cab components were sanded and chrome plated. The commemorative skid loader received a leather treatment to match the seat. Custom-made 3-D chrome plates with a laser-cut 150th anniversary logo adorn the sides of the bucket, the front of each lift arm and the steel mesh on the rear engine cover.

WEST BEND, Wis. – Gehl Company, manufacturer of compact construction equipment, “chromed-out” a Gehl model 7810E, one of the world’s most powerful skid loaders, to commemorate the company’s 150th anniversary. The 10,000-pound unit is covered in chrome, making it a one-of-a-kind skid loader.

The company history began in 1859 in a blacksmith shop located at the westerly bend of the Milwaukee River in a small farming community. Since then, Gehl Company has been led by three generations of Gehl family members and still operates in the same Midwestern town where it began 150 years ago.

“We were looking for a unique way to celebrate our 150th anniversary”, said Dan Keyes, VP of Sales and Marketing, “What better way to commemorate this milestone than with the most unique machine in our product line-up, all decked-out. There is truly nothing like this machine.”

The original concept for the machine was created by Form-I Design based in Waverly, Iowa. The design features a highly reflective gold and black finish and includes laser-cut logos in the ROPS side screens. Large decals on the lift arm display historical milestones of the company.

Milsco, a long-time Gehl supplier based in Milwaukee, Wisc., contributed a customized seat for the project. Covered in leather, the seat is decorated with silver piping and an embroidered 150th anniversary logo.

The most challenging aspect of the design was the chrome-like reflective surface of the machine. To achieve this dynamic finish, XXX Chrome Plating applied chrome plating treatments in gold, black and mercury, using a highly specialized chroming process.