JLG Industries is making plans to close facilities in Orrville, Ohio,; Maasmechelen, Belgium; and Bruntingthorpe, United Kingdom, the aerial work platform manufacturer announced. It has submitted plans for closure to the works council in Belgium for its manufacturing and pre-delivery inspection facilities and to employee representatives in the U.K.
“As part of our simplification strategy, we have evaluated our global manufacturing footprint and product offering to ensure our operations and product portfolio continue to remain competitive and meet current and future market demands,” said Frank Nerenhausen, Oshkosh Corp. executive vice president and president of the Access Division. “These planned actions allow us to improve performance to maintain our position as an access equipment leader around the globe.”
To optimize the company’s product portfolio, JLG plans to reduce its telehandler product offering in Europe, Middle East and Africa. The company said it intends to continue producing a limited range of telehandlers for the region at its plant in Medias, Romania. JLG’s aftermarket division will continue to support the discontinued model for a minimum of 10 years, JLG said.
As a result of the reduced telehandler lineup, JLG EMEA will require decreased engineering support from its UK-based engineering center in Bruntingthorpe, which is why the company plans to close it. A small group of employees would be retained in the Bruntingthorpe area or elsewhere within Europe.
Current PDI activities at Maasmechelen would be streamlined and distributed among remaining JLG facilities or outsourced to improve operational performance, the company said. A small group of non-manufacturing employees would be retained in the Maasmechelen area.
JLG will also close its Orrville, Ohio-based telehandler assembly lines, moving all North American telehandler manufacturing to its locations in Pennsylvania. The current JLG telehandler offering in North America will remain unchanged, and engineering services in Orrville will continue normal operations.
The proposed changes may affect up to 525 employees. JLG anticipates that the Orrville and Maasmechelen manufacturing operations would stop by Sept. 30, while the Maasmechelen PDI facility will close in 12 to 18 months. The Bruntingthorpe closure date will be determined once discussions with employee representatives are complete.
“These actions, although difficult, are the right ones for our business,” Nerenhausen said. “Simplifying our product portfolio and operations aligns with our long-term vision and strategic direction, positioning JLG to deliver an enhanced customer experience and improve return on investment moving forward.”
