An idea that would
CHANGE THE WORLD
It was the late ’40s when Ed Malzahn, a recent graduate of Oklahoma A&M College (Oklahoma State University), had an idea that would change the world. He noticed the equipment used to install major utility lines could not be used for smaller residential service lines. Instead, workmen had to lay these lines by hand, slowly digging out trenches with picks and shovels. Ed set out to change this, and in 1949 launched an entire industry with his first mechanical trenching machine, the Ditch Witch® Model DWP Service Line Trencher. The small machine shop he operated with his father was reborn as Charles Machine Works, and has since produced and sold more than half of the world’s trenching machines.
Ed possessed a sharp mind, a strong rural work ethic, and a generous spirit—all of which he used to better those around him. His accomplishments impacted millions worldwide, but his influence as a leader and family man to those who knew him personally will forever be his greatest legacy.
GUS EDWIN GEORGE MALZAHN
BORN
July 3, 1921 - Perry, OK
EDUCATION
Perry High School
Perry, OK
Wentworth Military Academy
Lexington, MO
Oklahoma A&M College (Oklahoma State University)
Stillwater, OK
Registered Professional Engineer
DEGREE
Bachelor of Science,
Mechanical Engineering
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Nation’s Outstanding Small Businessman Award
Outstanding Citizen Award - Perry, OK
Oklahoma Ambassadors Corporation
Oklahoma’s Outstanding Engineer in Management
Oklahoma State University Alumnus Award
Wonders in Engineering Awards from the Oklahoma Society of Professional Engineers
Named One of the 100 Most Significant Contributors to the Mechanization and Productivity in Construction During the Previous 100 Years by the Equipment Manufacturers Institute
National Employer Support Freedom Award (Received at the Pentagon)
1998 Inventor of the Year by the Oklahoma Bar Association
Inducted into the Construction Equipment Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Oklahoma State University (OSU) Hall of Fame, OSU Engineering Hall of Fame, American Rental Association Hall of Fame, North American Society of Trenchless Technology Hall of Fame, Power & Communication Contractors Association Hall of Fame.
Presidential “E” Award, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Recognition for Selling Products into Foreign Markets
Leadership Oklahoma’s Lifetime Achievement Award
Executive of the Year, Arkansas-Oklahoma Division of International Association of Administrative Professionals®
Named One of the 125 Most Influential People in Construction (Engineering News Record magazine)
Cited as One of Ten Oklahomans who have shaped the history of Oklahoma by facing opportunities and challenges presented in the 20th century (The Daily Oklahoman,, Dec. 30, 1999)