Flexible Automation System Manufactures Dixie Chopper Parts

The story of one of Mitsubishi's newest first-time laser customers starts in 1974, when Art and Jean Evans opened a mower sales and repair business. It was not long before Art began to have ideas about improving the way riding mowers were designed. One fundamental notion was that a mower should have a zero-radius turning circle. Another was that the mower deck should be "belly-mounted". Plus, he thought mowers were too slow. In 1979, he and Jean formed Magic Circle Corporation and began producing Dixie Choppers, the world's fastest commercial lawn mowers. By 2003, Dixie Choppers were known nationally, and the company was experiencing double-digit growth, building some 7,000 mowers that year.

In 2003, Magic Circle purchased its long-time sheet metal fabricator. Chris Albright, an 8-year veteran of the vendor, was retained as a sheet metal fabrication consultant. At the time, Dixie Chopper parts were being made by outside vendors on five different lasers. The company underwent massive reconfiguration to accommodate the on-site addition of the sheet metal fabrication and expand the business. Five separate buildings were merged into two, picking up an extra 10,000-square-foot, and dedicating it solely to production.