ɹˈɪtʃɚd smˈæli ɪz kɹˈɛdɪɾᵻd wɪð bˌiːɪŋ ðɪ ɪnvˈɛntɚɹ ʌvðə wˈɜːldz fˈɜːst mˈɪni ˈɛkskəvˌeɪɾɚɹ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti nˈaɪn, ɔːlðˈoʊ nˈaʊ sˈuːpɚsˌiːdᵻd baɪ tɹˈækt dˌɛɹɪvˈeɪʃənz ʌvðə kəmpˈækt ˈɛkskəvˌeɪɾɚɹ æt ðə kˈɑːnsɛpt wʌz hˈaɪli səksˈɛsfəl ɪn ɐlˈaʊɪŋ ɐ kəmpˈækt ænd kˈɔst ɪfˈɛktɪv məʃˈiːn, wɪð ðiːz wˈɔːkɪŋ ɔːɹ tˈoʊbᵻhˌaɪnd ˈɛkskəvˌeɪɾɚz hˌævɪŋ bˌɪn sˈoʊld ˌɪntʊ mˈoːɹ ðɐn fˈɔːɹɾi kˈʌntɹiz θɹuːˈaʊt ðə wˈɜːld ɪŋklˈuːdɪŋ ˌoʊvɚ wˈʌnhˈʌndɹɪd məʃˈiːnz tə dʒəpˈæn bᵻfˌoːɹ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti ˈeɪt ænd hˈɛns lˈaɪkli bˌiːɪŋ ðə dɪzˈaɪn ˌɪnspɚɹˈeɪʃən fɔːɹ ðiːz tɹˈækt kəmpˈækt ˈɛkskəvˌeɪɾɚz wˌɪtʃ dˈɑːmᵻnˌeɪt ðə mˈɑːɹkɪt.
Richard Smalley is credited with being the inventor of the world’s first mini excavator in 1959, although now superseded by tracked derivations of the compact excavator at the concept was highly successful in allowing a compact and cost effective machine, with these 'walking' or 'tow-behind' excavators having been sold into more than forty countries throughout the world (including over 100 machines to Japan before 1968) and hence likely being the design inspiration for these tracked compact excavators which dominate the market.