Rob Messina

JLG recently welcomed Rob Messina back to the company in his new role as senior vice president of product development and product management. Forkliftaction News caught up with Messina to find out more about him.

FLA: Prior to this appointment, what has been your biggest achievement?
RM: Prior to my latest role at JLG, the team/projects that I am most proud to have been included in is the Oshkosh Defense development of the M-ATV (mine-resistant ambush protected all-terrain vehicle) and the JLTV (joint light tactical vehicle), both for the United States Department of Defense. For each of these projects, we were responsible for developing solutions to help protect our war fighters. Soldiers and marines work tirelessly every day to protect us, so the work we did to provide them with protected mobility was meaningful at the time and remains so today. We had the privilege and the opportunity as a company to develop these products, and as a result, we are positioned to use some of the technology developed for the defence industry in our other Oshkosh business segments, including the access industry.

FLA: What excites you most about the materials handling industry?
RM: Technology is advancing at an exponential pace. Traditionally, the heavy equipment industry is not at the forefront of adopting these technologies, but the pendulum has started to shift direction. We have an amazing opportunity in front of us to be first to market with innovative solutions that will significantly improve the efficiency of our customers and their customers.

FLA: What is the most significant change you have seen in the industry in your time?
RM: I mentioned technology above, but it's not simply technology that's exciting. It's how we leverage that technology to develop connected solutions that deliver tangible value to our customers. The biggest shift I've seen is access to machine data and job site information, including how the information is captured and, more importantly, used by customers so they can make informed decisions throughout the construction process, or, from an operator's perspective, when they are using a machine.

FLA: What are the biggest challenges and opportunity that you see in your new role?
RM: One of the biggest challenges is the rapid maturation of so many different technologies across so many industries, with so many new OEMs bringing solutions to the table. This makes finding the right combination of new technologies that drive meaningful benefit to both owners and operators, without being cost prohibitive, even more challenging.

FLA: Can you share one piece of information about yourself which would surprise our readers?
RM: The equipment that we provide, not just JLG, but every manufacturer of access equipment, has an important duty to provide people with a safer and more productive way to work at height. This means that even though we are competitors, we have a common purpose, no matter what role we play in the eco-system. It's important to remember that we are better together, so I am very open to collaboration across the industry, even with OEM competitors - we all win together when operators go home in the same condition that they arrived in at work each day.