Farewell, Bucyrus

Update: More reaction to the name change from The Business Journal. And here is the Journal Sentinel story.

The end of Bucyrus International came quickly. Too quickly.

Within hours of Caterpillar announcing that its deal to acquire Bucyrus had closed Friday and that the name “Bucyrus” was disappearing to make way for one brand, there was little sign left that Bucyrus even existed.

I returned from a couple days of fishing on Sunday, and the first thing I saw is the sign on Milwaukee Avenue (above) had already changed. And all the other building signage saying “Bucyrus” had also been taken down. Even the Bucyrus website was gone. Just like that.

Just like that, the name that was such a critical part of South Milwaukee history for 118 years had disappeared — vanished like it had never existed.

Here on Thursday. Gone on Friday.

Welcome, Caterpillar. Good-bye, Bucyrus.

This is especially disappointing (and upsetting) because last fall we were told clearly that Bucyrus branding, at least in South Milwaukee, would live on, that “the Bucyrus name will remain intact at the sprawling South Milwaukee manufacturing complex where mining equipment such as shovels, drills and draglines are produced,” as The Business Journal reported in November (quoting outgoing CEO Tim Sullivan).

Well, that thinking changed, according to Caterpillar Group President Steve Wunning, who said on Friday: “As we examined this issue, it became clear it would be in the best long-term interests of our business to have a single brand for our mining customers, and that brand will be Caterpillar. This decision is important to quickly bring together one team with a single face to our customers. The decision was endorsed by the Bucyrus board of directors and we will begin to transition Bucyrus products to the Caterpillar brand in a quick and orderly fashion.”

Well, they sure got the “quick” part right.

And I say “too quick” because decisions like this shouldn’t be done overnight. “Ripping the Band-Aid off” leaves quick, and unnecessary, pain for communities, employees, retirees and others.

If the name “Bucyrus” must go away, fine, but do it slowly, over months and years, not minutes and days.

Cases in point: The airline mergers of recent years, deals that had names like “Midwest Airlines” surviving long after that company was acquired. Those companies get it: Brands are significant parts of customer and community consciousness, especially ones as deeply rooted as Bucyrus. And messing with them should not appear to be taken lightly or appear to be done thoughtlessly.

So here’s a better plan: Don’t dump the name at all. Or find a creative way to keep it. Miller Brewing Company merged with Coors Brewing Company to become “MillerCoors,” sparing the unnecessary heartache that would have come from choosing one brand over the other or a new name altogether. Why not find a way to similarly incorporate the name “Bucyrus” into Caterpillar’s mining empire?

I have other questions as well following Friday’s news …

• What does this mean for the future of Caterpillar as a community partner to South Milwaukee? The area is losing part of its identity with the demise of the “Bucyrus”  name. Will Caterpillar recognize this and continue Bucyrus’ legacy as a strong corporate citizen?
• What does this mean for the recently remodeled and reopened Bucyrus Museum? Will Caterpillar still see a need to celebrate Bucyrus’ history now that there is no more Bucyrus?
• What does this mean for the future of other Bucyrus-branded program and initiatives? Better put, is the t-shirt I got at the Bucyrus 200 NASCAR race this month now a collector’s item?
• Does the loss of the Bucyrus name hurt Tim Sullivan’s legacy as he ponders a run for the U.S. Senate?