Oregon declares 2013 "Year of the Batwing" in honor of local manufacturing company
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The Year of the Woods Batwing will officially begin on Jan. 1, 2013 thanks to a proclamation issued by Oregon Mayor Tom Stone Tuesday night.
Officials from Woods Equipment Company were on hand to accept a plaque and proclamation from Stone.
"I would like to honor you with a proclamation," said Stone.
The proclamation included a brief history of the company.
Wood Brothers Manufacturing Co. was founded in 1946 by Keith, Mervel and Leonard Wood.
The company has produced several innovations for tractor-mounted rotary cutter machines and various designs that led to today's standard three-point hitch for agricultural tractors.
In 1963 the iconic Batwing rotary cutter was introduced. The product has affected the growth of the flex-wing mower product category across the industry.
The Batwing rotary cutters are prevalent on farms, roadsides, campuses, estates, and homes throughout the United States and exported around the world.
In 2013 Woods Equipment Company will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Batwing.
Throughout Oregon roadsigns have been installed declaring Ill. 2 as Batwing Blvd for the year to recognize the company.
After the presentation Stone said manufacturing is vital to the community and Woods Equipment and Etnyre have worked hard to continue manufacturing in Oregon.
