Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), received
the 2009 Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year (MOTY), winning the
Grand Award in the "Mega” category for companies with more than 750
employees. Oshkosh was selected as the top company in this annual
state-wide competition among Wisconsin-based manufacturers.
Oshkosh Defense was recognized for its operations and business
excellence during the past year, and was judged on criteria, including
financial growth, environmental solutions, technological advancement,
operational excellence, commitment to employees and community support.
"The award acknowledges the progress and growth at Oshkosh Defense, as
well the hard work and experience of our employees,” said Andy Hove,
Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Defense.
"This award is a tribute to the dedication of our workforce in building
the finest military tactical wheeled vehicles to help supply our Armed
Forces and help protect the lives of someone’s son, daughter, mother or
father.”
For Oshkosh Defense, 2009 was a remarkable year. The Defense division
won two major contracts and hired hundreds of new employees. The
division first received an award on June 30, 2009 for the MRAP
All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) program, resulting in a $4.74 billion
contract for 8.079 vehicles to be used in Afghanistan’s harsh rugged
terrain. The contract award brought an immediate ramp up in production
for this brand-new vehicle. This was an "urgent” needs project for the
U.S. Army, and Oshkosh and its employees were able to design, test,
build and begin delivering these life-saving vehicles to Afghanistan in
less than a year -- a truly remarkable accomplishment.
The next significant award came on Aug. 26, 2009 for the Army’s Family
of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV).These two momentous programs are in
addition to the existing programs and vehicles that Oshkosh provides for
medium tactical wheeled vehicles for the Marine Corps and the Family of
Heavy Tactical Vehicles (FHTV) for the Army.
"Our success is the direct result of attention to detail from our
management, the skill and determination of our employees and a
companywide commitment to continuous improvement. Each day we come to
work with a purpose and leave with a great sense of pride,” said Hove.
Nominees for the Wisconsin MOTY awards must have major manufacturing
operations in the state. Winning companies are also recognized for
having made Wisconsin a better place to live and work through their
operations and business excellence.
MOTY winners were announced at an awards program on Thursday, Feb. 25 at
The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee. The MOTY Awards Program is co-sponsored
by Michael Best and Friedrich LLP, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause LLP, and
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.
About Oshkosh Defense
Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, is an
industry-leading global designer and manufacturer of tactical military
trucks and armored wheeled vehicles, delivering a full product line of
conventional and hybrid vehicles, advanced armor options, proprietary
suspensions and vehicles with payloads that can exceed 70 tons. Oshkosh
Defense provides a global service and supply network including full
life-cycle support and remanufacturing, and its vehicles are recognized
the world over for superior performance, reliability and protection. For
more information, visit www.oshkoshdefense.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 Corp.
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, log on to 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 risks related to sustaining the
required rate of production for the M-ATV contract and the amount, if
any, of additional orders for M-ATVs that the Company may receive; the
cyclical nature of the Company’s access equipment, commercial and fire &
emergency markets, especially during a global recession and tight credit
markets; the duration of the global recession, which could lead to
additional impairment charges related to many of the Company’s
intangible assets; the expected level and timing of U.S. Department of
Defense procurement of products and services and funding thereof, risks
related to reductions in government expenditures, the potential for the
government to competitively bid the Company’s Army and Marine contracts
and the uncertainty of government contracts generally; 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 during a recession,
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, including in a future economic recovery; risks associated with
international operations and sales, including foreign currency
fluctuations; 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. 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.
