Customer Corner : Unmasked Bandit Industries - The Cummins Accountability Project

Listen I’ve written a few articles for TCAP now but I’ve never had a headline land so easily in my lap. Bandit Industries? Oh come on! What a gift. Anyway these Michigan-based bastards, peddling wood chippers and grinders like they’re handing out sweets, represent everything that’s fucked in American manufacturing. Founded in 1983 in Remus, a speck on the map where dreams go to die, Bandit has ballooned into a beast employing hundreds, churning out machines that promise to tame nature but end up mangling lives and poisoning the air.

They’re not just building equipment; they’re engineering excuses for why corners get cut, lungs get filled with crap, and workers get screwed. And yeah, they’re cosy with Cummins, the diesel giants who’ve got their own rap sheet longer than a bad hangover. Bandit partners with Cummins to power their shit, making them loyal customers in a web of companies that have a grip on ethics like a double hand amputee. Yet another player in the Cummins ecosystem peddling alternative facts on right and wrong, where “compliance” is just a word for “how much can we get away with before the feds knock?” It’s all connected, folks – big engines, big pollution, big blind eyes.

Welcome to TCAP’s gut-punch expose on how Bandit turns trees into profits while leaving a trail of shattered bodies, stolen cash, and smog-choked skies. Strap in, because we’re diving in: no apologies, no sugar-coating, just the unfiltered truth that’ll make you want to hurl your chainsaw at the screen.

The Pollution Profiteers: Choking the Air for a Quick Buck

Picture this: you’re out in the woods, grinding stumps like it’s no big deal, but the diesel belching from your Bandit machine is packing more toxins than a back-alley hot dog (check us out, using American cultural references!). Back in 2017, the EPA slapped Bandit with a $3 million fine for screwing over clean air rules. What did they do? Simple – they jammed old, dirty engines into over 2,500 machines, engines that spewed extra nitrogen oxides and soot, the kind of crap that clogs lungs and turns blue skies grey. No fancy jargon here: they cheated on emissions tests, sold non-compliant junk, and acted like it was just a paperwork glitch. Bandit didn’t admit guilt – oh no, they “settled” without saying sorry – but the feds tallied 2,552 violations. That’s not a whoopsie; that’s deliberate dickery, pumping poisons into communities while pocketing the savings from skipping upgrades. And Cummins? Their engines are in the mix, powering this eco-nightmare. Another notch in the belt for companies that prioritise profits over breathable air. Outrageous? Fucking right it is. These pricks knew better, but chose cheaper over cleaner, leaving rural folks hacking up a lung while Bandit counts its cash.

The Embezzlement Empire: Stealing Millions While the Bosses Snooze

If polluting wasn’t enough, let’s talk theft – not petty pickpocketing, but a seven-year scam that sucked $3.65 million from Bandit’s coffers. Enter Lorie Stuer, a former accounts clerk turned fraud queen, who faked invoices and siphoned cash like it was happy hour. From 2011 to 2018, she doctored shipping bills, created ghost vendors, and routed funds to her own pockets, escalating to $1.47 million in one year alone. Bandit only caught on after an internal audit – too little, too late – and Stuer got nailed with charges of false pretenses and computer crimes. She pleaded guilty, got slapped with nine to 20 years in the slammer, but the damage? It hit employees hard: bonuses slashed, raises frozen, morale in the toilet. The court noted how her greed gutted the company, yet Bandit’s lax oversight let it fester. No high-finance babble: this was straight-up robbery, enabled by shitty checks and balances. And in the Cummins circle? Just another outfit where money vanishes while ethics take a hike. Pisses me off – workers grind away, and some suit’s sloppy system lets a thief waltz off with millions. Bandit, wake the hell up.

The Harassment Hellhole: Affairs, Retaliation, and a Toxic Boys’ Club

Now, the human rot: a 2021 lawsuit that peels back Bandit’s veneer to reveal a cesspool of sexual discrimination and harassment. A former manager claimed an office fling with an exec turned sour, leading to demotion, hostility, and payback. It’s classic: power plays in a male-heavy industry where women get the short end. The suit hit Isabella County Court, with the judge swatting down a recusal bid, but details scream favoritism and botched HR. No isolated incident – it spotlights a culture where affairs breed unfairness, and complaints get you canned. Bandit’s “positive” reviews on Glassdoor? Bullshit window dressing; dig deeper, and you find gripes about communication breakdowns and overtime cuts, hinting at deeper dysfunction. Tied to Cummins? Yep, another link in a chain of firms flirting with ethical lapses. Infuriating – in 2021, we’re still fighting this crap? Bandit, your machines grind wood; don’t grind souls.

The Mangling Machines: Death Traps on Wheels

Here’s the bloodiest bit: Bandit’s products aren’t just tools; they’re ticking bombs. Take Gary Klumpp, who in 1996 fed branches into a Model 90 chipper and lost part of his right hand – arms tangled, life altered. His suit slammed Bandit for shoddy design, no warnings, and negligence, chasing over $36 million. Or Joseph Hanson, 2022: faulty safety switch on a chipper cost him a leg. Then there’s the 2016 fatality – a 23-year-old kid, first day on the job, yanked into a Model 250, dead because training sucked and safeguards failed. More suits pile on: DJ Tree Service for grinder defects, Chipper Pro for conspiracy and breaches, Gildo Nonini in 2024 for equipment flaws. Bandit boasts ANSI standards, but reality? Machines that maim and kill, with winches and feeds that grab like hungry beasts. Powered by Cummins hearts, beating in sync with indifference. Goddamn tragic – lives ruined for lack of a decent guard or switch.

The Dodged Deal: Sketchy Shenanigans Behind Closed Doors

Even their business deals reek. In 2013, Alamo Group eyed buying Bandit, but it cratered – “terminated” amid whispers of valuation woes or hidden skeletons. Bandit’s owners backed out, staying private, but the flop raised eyebrows on due diligence. In Cummins’ world? Just more opacity. Shady? You bet.

Bandit’s story is a grinder of human decency, from toxic fumes to torn limbs. Happily tucked up in bed with Cummins, it’s a symptom of an industry rotten to the core. Time to call demand better, or watch more lives get chipped away.

Lee Thompson – Founder, The Cummins Accountability Project

Sources

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