Ditch Witch Revenue and Competitors

The history of The Charles Machine Works, Inc. and Ditch Witch underground construction equipment has its roots in the settlement of one of the last unassigned land areas of the United States. In 1902, Carl Frederick Malzahn moved his family to Perry, Oklahoma and opened a blacksmith shop with his sons, Charlie and Gus. The business prospered, and several years later, with the advent of an oil boom, it became Charlie's Machine Shop, specializing in repairs for the nearby oil fields. In the late 1940s, Charlie Malzahn's son, Ed, a recent college graduate with an engineering degree, had the idea to build a small compact trenching machine that could replace the "pick and shovel" work involved with installing residential utility services. By 1949, Ed had succeeded in producing a workable compact trencher. Charlie's Machine Shop was renamed The Charles Machine Works, Inc., and the first seeds of the worldwide Ditch Witch organization were planted.