APPLETON, Wis. (February 23, 2011) – Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) Company and North America’s leading fire and rescue apparatus manufacturer, today announced it has received an order for five Pierce Ultimate Configuration (PUC) vehicles from Portsmouth Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services (PFRES) in Portsmouth, Va. The purchase includes four pumper vehicles and one aerial ladder. All five vehicles will ride on Pierce® Arrow XT™ custom chassis. The vehicles will be placed into service in June 2011.
"We are honored that the PUC was selected by one of America’s earliest fire departments," said Jim Johnson, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Fire & Emergency. "This purchase not only demonstrates the growing popularity of the PUC platform and Arrow XT chassis, it is a testament to the service and support provided by our local dealer, Atlantic Emergency Solutions.”
The PUC’s patented design removes the bulky pumphouse and positions the fire pump below the cab. This lower and space-saving location makes the vehicle easier to use, operate safely, service and maneuver, all without compromising firefighting capabilities. The PUC is available on all Pierce custom chassis in side and top mount configurations, as well as on all aerial ladders.
“Our entire department is looking forward to the addition of these five Pierce units to our fleet,” said Don J. Horton, PFRES fire chief. “The new technologies introduced by Pierce on the Arrow XT chassis and PUC configuration result in vehicles that are safer and more economical to operate. Furthermore, these units will reduce adverse environmental impacts on our beautiful city, while also improving service to our citizens.”
“Atlantic Emergency Solutions is proud to partner with PFRES as they bring the latest in innovation to their fleet of apparatus,” said Joe Pack, Atlantic Emergency Solutions president & CEO. “We welcome the opportunity to provide the city of Portsmouth with solutions that focus on safety, performance and reliability to meet the needs of the community.”
PFRES was organized in 1830 and is one of the oldest professional departments on the eastern seaboard. The department is staffed with 255 highly trained firefighters, paramedics and support personnel who respond to approximately 17,000 service calls each year. PFRES operates eight fire stations located strategically throughout the City of Portsmouth, Virginia.
About Pierce Manufacturing
Pierce Manufacturing Inc., a subsidiary of Oshkosh Corporation [NYSE: OSK], is the leading North American manufacturer of custom fire apparatus. Products include custom and commercial pumpers, aerials, rescue trucks, wildland trucks, minipumpers, elliptical tankers, and homeland security apparatus. In addition, Pierce designs its own foam systems and was the first company to introduce the Side Roll Protection system to fire apparatus. To learn more about Pierce, visit www.piercemfg.com.
About Oshkosh Corporation
Oshkosh Corporation is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of specialty access equipment, commercial, fire & emergency and military vehicles and vehicle bodies. Oshkosh Corporation manufactures, distributes and services products under the brands of Oshkosh®, JLG®, Pierce®,McNeilus®, Medtec®, Jerr-Dan®, Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles, Frontline™, SMIT™, CON-E-CO®, London® and IMT®. Oshkosh products are valued worldwide in businesses where high quality, superior performance, rugged reliability and long-term value are paramount. For more information, visit www.oshkoshcorporation.com.
®, ™ All brand names referred to in this news release are trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation or its subsidiary companies.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that the Company believes to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s future financial position, business strategy, targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital expenditures, debt levels and cash flows, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “project” or “plan” or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include the impact on revenues and margins of the decrease in M-ATV production rates; the cyclical nature of the Company’s access equipment, commercial and fire & emergency markets, especially during periods of global economic weakness and tight credit markets; the Company’s ability to produce vehicles under the FMTV contract at targeted margins; the duration of the ongoing global economic weakness, which could lead to additional impairment charges related to many of the Company’s intangible assets and/or a slower recovery in the Company’s cyclical businesses than equity market expectations; the expected level and timing of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) procurement of products and services and funding thereof, especially in an environment when the U.S. government is operating under a Continuing Resolution budget action; risks related to reductions in government expenditures in light of U.S. defense budget pressures and an uncertain DoD tactical wheeled vehicle strategy; the potential for the U.S. government to competitively bid the Company’s Army and Marine Corps contracts; the consequences of financial leverage, which could limit the Company’s ability to pursue various opportunities; the potential for commodity and other raw material costs to rise sharply, particularly in a future economic recovery; risks related to costs and charges as a result of facilities consolidation and alignment, including that anticipated cost savings may not be achieved; risks related to the collectability of receivables, particularly for those businesses with exposure to construction markets; the cost of any warranty campaigns related to the Company’s products; risks related to production delays arising from supplier quality or production issues; risks associated with international operations and sales, including foreign currency fluctuations and compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; risks related to work stoppages and other labor matters; the potential for disruptions or cost overruns in the Company’s global enterprise system implementation; the potential for increased costs relating to compliance with changes in laws and regulations; and risks related to disruptions in the Company’s distribution networks. Additional information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update information contained in this press release. Investors should be aware that the Company may not update such information until the Company’s next quarterly earnings conference call, if at all.
