Appleton, Wis. (October 11, 2010) – Pierce Manufacturing, an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) company, has received an order from ConocoPhillips Alaska for an industrial aerial platform vehicle built on an Arrow XT™ chassis. In May 2011, the firefighting vehicle will be placed into service at the company’s facilities located on Alaska’s North Slope, at the site of one of North America’s largest oil fields near the head of the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline.
“We’re proud that ConocoPhillips Alaska selected a Pierce fire apparatus to help protect the people and facilities at such an important site,” said Jim Johnson, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Fire & Emergency. “The rugged terrain, extreme cold and high winds found on the North Slope are not for the faint of heart – and this purchase is a testament to our vehicle’s ability to perform in the most demanding conditions on earth.”
“Weather extremes can mean wind chill ratings down to minus 80 degrees. We have large amounts of oil and gas being produced inside enclosed modules, and the possibility for a leak to cause a catastrophic explosion is something we have to contend with every time we have a facility incident,” said ConocoPhillips Fire Chief Boyd Follet. “The Pierce aerial platform, with its ability to produce 2000 GPM flows, will give us capabilities to put into operation master streams where we couldn't have placed anything previously. Additionally, it will give us a stable rescue platform for rescue situations at elevations that we did not previously have.”
The apparatus is outfitted with a special cold weather package, including twin 33,000 BTU hot water heaters, synthetic oil, radiator coolant protection to -61 degrees F, and additional insulation inside the pumphouse.
The unit features proprietary TAK-4® independent front suspension and an airbag rear suspension for enhanced vehicle control and ride quality on the rugged roads that crisscross the facilities and the outlying territory. The vehicle is equipped with a 500 hp engine and Command Zone™ advanced electronics for reliability and easier troubleshooting. Other chassis features include seating for six firefighters and frontal air bag protection.
The firefighting systems include a 2,000-gpm pump, Husky 160 industrial foam system, 700 gallon foam cell and twin monitors located at the platform. The aerial platform features wireless remote controls, Lyfe brackets to carry rescue accessories, breathing air to the tip, and blue LED lighting running the length of the device.
Named for the Kuparuk River, the Kuparuk oil field is the second largest oil field in North America. It produces approximately 230,000 barrels of oil per day and is estimated to have two billion barrels of recoverable reserves.
Photo Caption: This Pierce® Arrow XT™ platform is similar to the one being built for ConocoPhillips facilities in Kuparuk, located on Alaska’s North Slope.
Photo Caption: Aerial view of the Kuparuk Operations Complex (photo courtesy of ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc.).
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.
®, ™ 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 presentation, 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 projected decrease in M-ATV production rates; the cost of any warranty campaigns related to the Company’s products; 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 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. DoD procurement of products and services and funding thereof; 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 Company’s ability to start production under the FMTV contract at targeted margins; the consequences of financial leverage associated with the JLG acquisition, which could limit the Company’s ability to pursue various opportunities; risks related to the collectability of receivables, particularly for those businesses with exposure to construction markets; risks related to production delays as a result of the economy’s impact on the Company’s suppliers; the potential for commodity costs to rise sharply, particularly in a future economic recovery; risks related to costs and charges as a result of facilities consolidation and alignment; risks associated with international operations and sales, including foreign currency fluctuations and compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; risks related to disruptions in the Company’s distribution networks; and the potential for increased costs relating to compliance with changes in laws and regulations. Additional information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company disclaims any obligation to update such forward-looking statements.
