Dienstag, 6. August 2013
McCONNELLSBURG, Pa. — Sales of JLG’s aerial work platforms and telehandlers totaled $1.95 billion for a nine-month period ending June 30, representing an increase of 14 percent over the same period a year ago.
The access equipment manufacturer is the biggest employer in Fulton County, Pa. Its parent company, Oshkosh Corp. of Wisconsin, announced third-quarter results for its fiscal year July 30.
In a news release, Oshkosh Corp. indicated increased JLG sales offset a sales decline in its defense segment. The corporation reported third-quarter net income of $148.4 million, or $1.67 per diluted share.
“Our access equipment segment, in particular, stood out with higher sales and operating income margins reaching more than 16 percent for the quarter. Our defense team also delivered solid results, despite continued headwinds from reduced U.S. defense spending,” Oshkosh Corp. Chief Executive Officer Charles L. Szews said in the news release.
As a result of the third-quarter performance, the company raised its adjusted earnings per share expectations for the full year to a range of $3.60 to $3.70.
Access equipment benefited from replacement-driven demand in North America, price increases, and higher aftermarket parts and service sales, the news release said.
The access equipment segment’s operating income increased 75.1 percent to $154.5 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2013. That compares to operating income of $88.2 million for the third quarter of fiscal year 2012.
JLG employs about 2,000 people between its manufacturing plant in McConnellsburg and office facility in Hagerstown. Worldwide, JLG employs about 4,500 people, according to published reports.
Franklin County, Pa., crane manufacturer Manitowoc also posted increased sales for its latest fiscal quarter. In a news release, that company reported sales of $1.05 billion for the second quarter of 2013, an increase of 5 percent compared to the second quarter of 2012.
“The sales increase was primarily driven by a 7.6 percent increase in crane segment sales,” the news release said.
Manitowoc, in Shady Grove, Pa., is the former Globe Worldwide. It is Franklin County’s largest manufacturing employer.
Franklin County Area Development Corp. President L. Michael Ross said JLG and Manitowoc are recognizable names worldwide. He said the region not only benefits from the direct employment at JLG and Manitowoc, but also at the businesses in their supply chains.
“These two companies are cornerstones of our local economy,” Ross said.
People tend to think about manufacturers in terms of blue-collar jobs, but they employ people in positions that “run the full gamut” up to executive positions, Ross said. One-third of Manitowoc’s 2,000 employees are not on the production floor, he said.
“I think they have adopted global outsourcing for their subcontracting, but more importantly what they’re doing right is they’ve been at the forefront ... of production design, manufacturing and service. You’re looking at a renaissance of construction globally,” Ross said.