Rental Rumbles: February 2009

JLG Industries breaks ground in China

JLG Industries, Inc., along with its parent company, Oshkosh Corporation, broke ground for a new manufacturing facility in Tianjin, China. The announcement is another step in Oshkosh Corporation’s strategic business initiatives to meet the demands of a global economy and the growing demand for aerial work platforms in the Chinese and Asian markets.  The new facility will produce JLG access equipment specifically for the Asian market.

“This new Tianjin facility is a major milestone in our global business
expansion and operations strategy.  We have chosen to expand in China because we believe the Asian market holds tremendous long-term potential for our access equipment. In many respects, our Asian customers are just beginning to see the tremendous value that access equipment can provide in construction, manufacturing, maintenance, industrial and shipyard applications,” says Craig E. Paylor, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice-president and president of JLG Industries.

“We are committed to providing the best value to each of our customers individually, customized for their location, application and duty cycle.  This new facility will allow us to better supply and support our customers in the region,” he adds.

Robert G. Bohn, Oshkosh Corporation chairman and chief executive officer says “This facility will be the first ever China-based manufacturing facility for Oshkosh Corporation. The facility we are building in Tianjin is a strategic initiative to directly service regional customers with a faster delivery turnaround for our JLG brand of aerial work platforms.”

JLG Industries has been selling and servicing products in the Asian market for decades. The company opened an office
in Beijing in 2002 to enhance responsive-
ness for its Chinese customers in the shipyard, construction, airport, hotel, industrial and maintenance industries.

“This locally produced product will give Oshkosh a distinct strategic advantage in a very aggressive, competitive Asian landscape. JLG product made at the Tianjin facility will be targeted for the China and Asian markets and be a complement to other JLG manufacturing facilities which build product for the rest of the world,” he says.

As part of its on-going social outreach program in China, the company also donated two JLG telehandlers to help local officials in the rebuilding in Wenchuan County, which was tragically impacted by the major earthquake that occurred in May in Sichuan Province.

‘Big iron’ marketing firm elected to AEM

Marketing Strategies & Solutions, a London, Ont. based advertising and communications agency, has been elected to membership in the Association  of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), North America‘s international trade group for companies that manufactures equipment, products and services used worldwide in the agricultural, construction, forestry, mining and utility fields.

Robert Adeland, president of Marketing Strategies & Solutions, will be the firm’s official representative to the AEM trade group. He will join more than 6,500 industry executives from AEM member companies who participate in the trade group’s issues-oriented, job-specific and product-based working groups. The specific areas include safety and technical support, equipment market statistics, public policy, trade shows, workforce development, education and training, and worksite safety and educational materials.

Established by Robert Adeland in 1997, Marketing Strategies & Solutions has found a successful niche in the marketing world as a specialist in integrated communication services for “big iron” equipment manufacturers in Canada and the U.S.

Contact Association of Equipment Manufacturers, www.aem.org

Contact Marketing Strategies & Solutions, www.marketingstrategiesandsolutions.com

Kohler enters diesel market
Kohler Co.’s Global Power Group has announced its first diesel engine line for the North America market.

A total of seven air-cooled models from 6.7-34.9 horsepower and six liquid-cooled models from 16.8-64.4 horsepower are among the new line of Kohler diesel engines.

The new Kohler diesel air- and liquid-cooled engines are in production and available for order from Kohler Engines dealers and distributors throughout North America. The Kohler diesel range features both single- and multi-cylinder models (50kW and under). The new Kohler diesel engines are emission compliant, to the latest EPA and CARB emission requirements.

“Kohler is very serious about competing in the non-highway engine market on a worldwide map and this diesel line complements our current gasoline engine offering,” says Cam Litt, marketing manager-Kohler Co.’s engine division.

The diesel engines will feature an extensive range of both air- and liquid-cooled units that offer advanced fuel efficiency and low sound levels, and a myriad of air intake and oil-filtration system options.

Cummins Tier 4 engine a LLEAP ahead
Cummins Inc. Tier 4 QSB6.7 engine with integrated air intake to exhaust aftertreatment technology has won a gold award for design leadership in the LLEAP 2008 innovation awards, taking first place in the systems category. The company has also been recognized for its new Direct Flow air filter on the QSB6.7 winning a silver award in the LLEAP innovative components category.

The award-winning 6.7 litre QSB engine incorporating the Direct Flow engine air filter and Cummins Particulate Filter exhaust aftertreatment was revealed at the ConExpo show held in Las Vegas, Nev., in March. The QSB6.7 captured industry attention as the first fully integrated system shown ready to meet U.S. EPA Tier 4 Interim and European Stage IIIB off-highway low-emissions regulations taking effect in January 2011.

A performance-enhancing High Pressure Common Rail fuel system and Variable Geometry Turbocharger enable the Tier 4 QSB6.7 to increase top-rated power to 300 horsepower (224 kW), representing a power output more typical of a larger-displacement engine. Cleaner, more efficient combustion reduces fuel consumption by up to five per cent, dependent on rating. The Direct Flow air filter improves air flow efficiency and dust protection for the engine.

Ric Kleine, vice-president of Cummins Off-Highway Business, says the awards highlight how Cummins’s Tier 4 design approach has taken a lead role in the off-highway equipment industry with a fully integrated air intake to exhaust aftertreatment solution.

“Our next-generation engines such as the QSB6.7 go beyond meeting the stringent 2011 emissions levels to lower the cost of ownership for operators and enhance equipment productivity. We are able to achieve this because we have access to the Tier 4-enabling technologies, all from within Cummins’s own resources.”

Looking up when the economy is down
MEC Aerial Work Platforms is taking a proactive approach by using the economic downturn to its advantage.

The company announced that it is redirecting its efforts to create new products and aggressively market itself to potential new customers.

“At a time when many companies are pulling back we are investing heavily in developing new products, reaching out to new customers and making some significant strategic changes for 2009,” says David White, president of MEC.

“One of those changes includes concentrating our resources on developing and manufacturing unique specialized lift equipment that we believe will help our customers be more competitive in the equipment rental market,” he adds.

MEC is developing and producing several specialized products that it believes customers will feel they “must have” rather than traditional general purpose equipment that does not differentiate them.

“Our Engineering and R&D teams are diligently working on five new products,” says Jim Tolle, president of the sales division for MEC, “Some of which are so unique, this industry has never seen them before. For the first time in our history, we’re creating machinery for specific tasks and end-user needs, rather than just building higher-quality run-of-the-mill commodity items.”

MEC plans to debut several of its new and unusual products at The Rental Show, hosted by the American Rental Association (ARA), in Atlanta, Georgia, in March 2009.

The company also announced an addition to its electric rough terrain series of scissor lifts: The large deck 91ES Series. This all-electric series is “green” for environmentally-friendly applications and yet MEC-tough, easily climbing grades of 40 per cent. The 91ES Series covers the 20-, 30- and 40-foot markets.

Atlas Copco acquires Aggreko
Atlas Copco has acquired the European oil-free air compressor rental business of Aggreko plc, expanding the Atlas Copco Specialty Rental division. The $18-million deal includes nearly 200 compressors and dryers, which will be integrated into Atlas Copco’s existing European rental fleet.

The company says the acquisition of the European business of Aggreko plc supports the growth of Specialty Rental’s core business, renting oil-free air equipment. In North America, Atlas Copco’s Specialty Rental Division is known as Atlas Copco Prime Energy and has branches strategically located throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Doosan upgrades achieve cleaner emissions
Doosan Infracore Portable Power has upgraded several models in its mobile generator portfolio to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s current standards for mobile, off-highway, diesel-powered equipment. The portfolio now includes a total of 10 models ranging from 25 kVA to 570 kVA, all of which comply with current EPA emissions regulations in North America. All models are assembled at the Doosan Infracore Portable Power factory in Statesville, N.C.

The G25 and G40 are powered by Mitsubishi engines that are certified to EPA Tier 4 interim requirements in effect until 2013 when Tier 4 final standards become effective for this horsepower category. These new models, rated at 25 kVA and 35 kVA, replace EPA Tier 2 versions with the same model designation.

The G70 and G90, rated at 72 kVA and 94 kVA respectively, are powered by John Deere engines that are certified to EPA Tier 3 requirements in effect until 2012 when Tier 4 interim standards become effective. These new models replace the G60 and G80 and feature as much as 24 per cent higher output, in addition to cleaner emissions.

The G145, G185 and G240, powered by John Deere engines, and the G290, powered by Cummins, have been in production with EPA Tier 3 certification since 2007. These models, rated at 144 kVA, 183 kVA, 239 kVA and 290 kVA respectively, will continue until 2011, at which time Tier 4 interim standards for this horsepower category become effective.

At the top of the range are the G450 and G570, powered by Cummins and rated at 456 kVA and 570 kVA, have been in production since 2007 with EPA Tier 2 certification, the current requirement for engines rated greater than 751 horsepower (560 kW). In 2011, the Tier 4 interim standard for this horsepower category becomes effective.

Doosan Infracore Portable Power mobile generators are suited for use in construction, rental and specialty applications. ■