Bad Boy Mowers Announces Expansion, 160 New Jobs

Inside the Bad Boy Mowers manufacturing plant in Batesville.

Batesville’s Bad Boy Mowers on Monday announced a $7.8 million expansion next to its headquarters.

It will invest roughly $7.8 million in a 68,000-SF facility on 10 acres across from its 1 million-SF, 29-acre facility. The expansion will add 160 jobs, bringing its total employment to about 750 workers, the company said.

In a news release, Bad Boy said the planned expansion is the result an increase in demand for Bad Boy’s zero turn mower product line, its rotary cutter product line from sister company Bad Boy Cutters and its new accessory division, which will manufacture a variety of vehicle accessories.

“Bad Boy is excited about our continued growth, and our ability to continue adding good-paying jobs to our area,” said Bad Boy owner Phil Pulley in the release. “We are very proud of our partnership with the state of Arkansas, as well as our local community, and look forward to continued growth and success.”

After its founding in Diaz (Jackson County) in 1998, the company began production in Batesville in 2002 in a 20,000-SF facility with 25 employees. It has averaged more than 33 percent growth in each of the past two years.

“Bad Boy Mowers is a prime example of the entrepreneurial spirit in Arkansas,” said Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who joined local civic and company leaders at Monday’s announcement in Batesville. “While still a relatively young company, Bad Boy has grown and continues to thrive here because of its strong leadership combined with a skilled and dedicated workforce. We appreciate the company’s ongoing commitment to doing business in Arkansas.”

The company’s most recent expansions have included plant expansions announced in 2012 and 2014 to accomodate its affiliate company, Intimidator Inc., and its line of multi-terrain vehicles. Bad Boy products are sold throughout the U.S., Canada and Australia.

Bad Boy employs more than 600 in its Batesville facilities and its expanded product line includes several different types of mowers, accessories, cutters and culvert cleaners, in addition to Intimidator’s MTVs.

The company received the following state incentives from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission: 

• Create Rebate: Five years of annual cash rebates. Rebate will equal 4.25 percent of payroll associated with the new positions created;
• InvestArk: Sales-and-use tax credit program available to businesses established in Arkansas for two years or longer that invests $5 million dollars or more at a single location in plant or equipment for new construction, expansion or modernization. A credit against the business’ state direct-pay sales-and-use tax liability, equal to one-half percent above the state sales-and-use tax rate in effect at the time of application, is earned based on the total eligible project cost. Currently, the percentage that may be earned as credit is 7 percent of eligible project expenditures;
• $500,000 Community Development Block Grant.

“The City of Batesville is proud to work closely with Bad Boy Mowers by helping facilitate their continued phenomenal growth,” said Batesville Mayor Rick Elumbaugh. “They have consistently been an outstanding creator of new jobs in our community year after year and we look forward to their continued success.”