APPLETON, Wis. (October 29, 2010) ¾ Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) company, today announced that the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc. has named Pierce the Manufacturer of the Year in the Mega Company category. The selection was announced at the Fox Cities Chamber’s Annual Meeting held last night. Pierce was chosen based on several measurement criteria – including manufacturing processes, research and development, leadership and technology, operational excellence, community support and involvement, management philosophy and customer focus.
"We are honored to be named by the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce for this distinguished award, and are proud to be recognized as a leading manufacturer in this important region of the state,” said Jim Johnson, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Fire & Emergency. "Hats off to all our employees in our Fox Cities facilities. Through their dedication, and commitment to excellence, Pierce builds the world’s leading custom fire and rescue vehicles right here in Wisconsin’s heartland.”
Founded in 1913, Pierce has grown to become a global leader in custom fire and emergency vehicles, including custom and commercial apparatus for the fire, federal government and law enforcement markets. The company is an industry innovator, and has pioneered a wide range of industry-changing safety and performance technologies including Velocity® custom chassis, TAK-4® independent suspension, Side Roll Protection and frontal airbags, Command Zone™ advanced electronics, and the Husky® foam system.
As an ISO 9001:2008 certified, one source OEM, Pierce is a vertically integrated manufacturing facility with over 750,000 square feet under roof in the Fox Cities. The company also has manufacturing and assembly operations in Bradenton, Fla.
“A large component of this award measures community involvement and support for local causes”, Johnson added. “We see this as a major part of our company mission.” Pierce supports a wide range of community organizations and events, and it has achieved a six percent year-over-year contributions growth in United Way of the Fox Cities.
The Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce and the accounting firm of Baker Tilly sponsor the Manufacturer of the Year Award. Manufacturing has long been the backbone of the Fox Cities economy, and as the national economy regains momentum, manufacturing industries are re-engineering their operations to establish themselves in the global marketplace. By honoring manufacturing firms, the Chamber draws attention to successful strategies and lean manufacturing practices.
Manufacturing awards are presented to small, medium, large and mega firms based on number of employees, and special awards may be given at the discretion of the judges to recognize unique manufacturing practices or accomplishments. Recipients of the local awards are encouraged to apply for state level competition, also sponsored by Baker Tilly.
Photo Caption: Pierce Manufacturing has been named 2010 Fox Cities Manufacturer of the Year in the Mega Company category.
About Pierce Manufacturing
Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation [NYSE: OSK] company, 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 frontal airbags and 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.
