JLG Industries Inc has shown quarter-to-quarter improvement in telehandler sales and is confident of the potential for its new products, according to the company's latest financial report.

Telehandler sales for JLG's third quarter, which ended on April 30, were USD21 million, an 11 percent improvement on the second quarter. But the result was 13 percent lower than telehandler sales for last year's third quarter.

In March, JLG debuted 23 new products and accessories, including a 135-foot (50 metres) boom lift, the Transformer machine, all-wheel-steer telehandler product lines and "Workstation in the Sky accessory packages" at the ConExpo-Con/Agg 2002 trade show in Las Vegas, said Bill Lasky, JLG chairman.

"Our customers at the show received these products enthusiastically, and we are particularly encouraged by the acceptance of our new European telehandler product family," Mr Lasky said.

The TF6-42 Transformer is "the world's first and only two-in-one machine that functions as both a telehandler and a true aerial work platform," the financial report said. The model has a capacity of 6600 pounds (two tonnes), can accept a range of attachments, and can be converted quickly into an aerial work platform.

The G9-43A telehandler, second in JLG's King Crab series, has a capacity of 9,000 pounds (four tonnes), a maximum lift height of 43 feet (14.5 metres) and a reach of 30 feet (10 metres). The operator can choose between all-wheel, front-wheel or crab (sideways) steering.

The model has a backbone frame, offset from the operator cab, which brings the mid-mounted engine close to the machine's centre and provides better left-right weight distribution. JLG says the frame is "unlike any other in the industry". The G Series operator cab has 22 percent more room than earlier models, improved visibility and a wrap-around instrument panel.

The JLG group reported a USD836,000 profit on third quarter sales of almost USD208.7 million.

JLG manufactures mobile aerial work platforms, variable-reach materials handlers and telescopic hydraulic excavators. The firm has manufacturing facilities in the USA and Belgium, and markets products globally under the JLG and Gradall trademarks.