In the late 1940s, 28- year-old Ed Malzahn applied a combination of knowledge from his father’s blacksmith business and his degree in mechanical engineering to produce a machine that would revolutionize the underground construction industry as we know it today.
At the time, Mazlahn was paving the way for compact trenchers that now efficiently install water, sewer and gas lines, and telecommunications, CATV and fiber optic cables across the globe. Malzahn’s original plan launched a more than 60-year history for Perry, Okla.-based The Charles Machine Works Inc. (CMW), as well as its leadership in manufacturing Ditch Witch branded equipment used in construction projects worldwide.