WEST FARGO, N.D. - After an exciting 21 weeks of reviewing entries from Bobcat compact equipment enthusiasts, Bobcat Company officials have selected a grand prize winner, five second-place winners and 10 third-place winners in the How Bobcat Unleashed Me Contest.

The How Bobcat Unleashed Me Contest asked compact equipment users to share how Bobcat equipment helped them in performing work better, smarter and faster. Equipment users across the continental United States and Canada submitted brief essays and photographs about their experiences with Bobcat equipment.

The grand prize winner is Gregory Stone of Excavation Details, Rock Stream, N.Y. Stone will receive a $75,000 Bobcat gift certificate, good for products or attachments of his choice at a designated Bobcat dealership in North America.

Stone was selected from among many superb entries because of his inspiring story. Formerly a skilled professional with a custom cabinet and millwork company, Stone wanted to make more of his life and had a passion to operate compact equipment for a full-time job. He recognized a niche application in vineyards and developed a process to dig precise draining systems while preventing damage to the vines and valuable soil.

Stone purchased a Bobcat skid-steer loader and backhoe attachment - after some guidance from a Bobcat sales specialist - to install the complex drainage systems in the Finger Lakes region of New York. The compact loader and backhoe attachment proved to be perfect for his niche application.