JLG Industries to reopen Orrville, Ohio, plant

RP news wires, Noria Corporation

JLG Industries, Inc. announced plans Friday to reopen the company's 340,000-square-foot facility in Orrville, Ohio, which was closed in 2003 during the last business downturn. This move represents another step in the company's reconfiguration of its existing facilities to further optimize facility utilization and increase manufacturing capacity.

Telehandler product engineering and certain component manufacturing operations currently located at the recently sold New Philadelphia, Ohio, facility will be relocated to the Orrville facility. In addition, North American service parts distribution operations, currently located in McConnellsburg, Pa., will be moved to Orrville. The relocation of the service parts distribution operations will create additional manufacturing space in the McConnellsburg facility as part of our capacity improvements in connection with the previously announced alliance with Caterpillar Inc. and with increases for other JLG products. JLG expects to invest approximately $11 million of capital in this operation.

"The relocation of our parts distribution center will improve our operational efficiency and allow us to better serve our customer's needs," stated Bill Lasky, chairman, president and CEO. "The Orrville facility provides added capacity to meet today's strong demand with room to expand for the future as well as access to good transportation and an experienced work force. Along with reopening our Sunnyside facility in Bedford, Pa., the sale of the facility in New Philadelphia and the capacity investments we are making, by the end of this fiscal year, we will have the capacity to support more than 50 percent higher production with the same basic manufacturing footprint we had at the end of the previous year.

"The State of Ohio worked diligently with us in this initiative that will create approximately 150 new jobs and retain 130 other jobs. We are grateful for the economic assistance and financial incentives as part of this successful effort."

JLG Industries is the world's leading producer of access equipment (aerial work platforms and telehandlers).