JLG telehandler

JLG Industries Inc is thinking ahead in an effort to increase productivity for equipment distributors and end-users.

The access equipment design, manufacturing and marketing firm remains committed to creating new and improved products, says Craig Paylor, president of JLG and executive vice president of publicly traded parent firm Oshkosh Corp. Paylor notes that trade publications selected JLG for numerous design awards during 2008.

"We are on the edge and have done a lot with online services," says Jeff Ford, senior manager of JLG marketing communications, in a telephone interview.

Ford refers to the ClearSky connected asset technology as "another way to lower cost of fleet ownership and do things remotely".
JLG makes replacement parts available online and focuses on "keeping the equipment up and running and reducing cost of ownership for our rental companies and the folks who have our equipment," Ford says.

JLG pursues new technologies-some under development and some nearing market-ready status-in seeking to make "a quantum leap and improve the reliability or serviceability of a machine," he notes. In-the-market examples include the JLG G5-18A super-compact telehandler and the AccuPlace system with ride control technology.

Ford cites the LiftPod personal and portable aerial work platform as a significant improvement. The result: "a USD2,000 entry-level aerial work platform."

Products include JLG-brand aerial work platforms and JLG-, SkyTrak- and Lull-brand telehandlers. McConnellsburg is a principal manufacturing site.

"Awards recognise achievement," Paylor notes in a statement, "but we at JLG will not stop in developing new technologies and product innovations to help our customers maintain and grow their businesses."

JLG says it received two top-100 products awards from Construction Equipment, a product-of-the-year award from Plant Engineering, two category awards and the grand winner award from Rental Equipment Register, two gold awards and a silver award from Lift & Access, two gold awards, a silver award and a bronze award from Roads & Bridgesand recognition from Compact Equipment.