Access equipment manufacturer JLG Industries Inc reported rapid growth in its telehandler business with sales up 42.5 per cent in the quarter ended May 1, compared with the same quarter last year.

Quarterly telehandler sales were USD141.7 million, compared with USD99.4 million for the 2004 quarter.

McConnellsburg-based JLG has made progress integrating OmniQuip's Sky Trak and Lull telehandler lines with the existing JLG and Gradall brands of telehandlers.

JLG chief executive Bill Lasky said the corporation achieved financial gains during the quarter through pricing actions taken in early 2005, benefits of the OmniQuip acquisition, Six Sigma initiatives and productivity improvements (Forkliftaction.com News #115).

"The order board has more than doubled sequentially to USD665 million with delivery dates extending well into our 2006 fiscal year," Lasky said.

"Fleet age, rental and utilisation rates for our type of equipment continue to drive demand in most geographic regions and product lines," said JLG chief financial officer Jim Woodward.

"Rental companies are continuing their strong pace of equipment refreshment propelled by some of the highest utilisation rates they have seen since the last cycle peak in 2000."
Based on historical patterns, JLG anticipates moving into an expansion phase in the near to mid-term from the recent strong cyclical recovery.

Woodward said economic conditions in JLG's "principal markets and higher construction spending continue to drive demand".

Company-wide, sales increased 58.6 per cent in the quarter to May 1. JLG reported profit of USD22.7 million on sales of USD505.4 million for the quarter, conpared with profit of USD8.7 million on sales of USD318.7 million for the same 2004 quarter.