Williams Controls Subsidiary Receives Contract from Oshkosh Truck
5 March 1999
Williams Controls Subsidiary Receives Contract from Oshkosh Truck
PORTLAND, Ore., March 4 -- Williams Controls, Inc.
announced that its subsidiary, Williams Controls Industries,
Inc. in Portland, Oregon has been awarded a contract to supply air throttle
controls (ATCs) to the Oshkosh Truck Corporation. Oshkosh Truck received a
five year contract from the United States Marine Corps to supply 5,600
military-type MTVR vehicles, with an option for another 2,500 vehicles during
the contract period.
Under the agreement, Williams Controls Industries will supply two ATCs for
each truck along with two other air control valves for each vehicle, in a
contract valued at over $1 million. There may be additional opportunities for
Williams Controls Industries to supply components after the vehicles produced
under a pilot program are completed and tested. The pilot production is
scheduled to begin in June of this year, with full rollout later this year.
Williams Controls Chairman and CEO Thomas W. Itin stated, "This is a major
boost for the ATC product category at our Portland heavy truck operation. It
will result in a 30% increase in our business with Oshkosh Truck when we
supply the 11,200 ATC units for the base number of 5,600 vehicles, and if the
additional 2,500 vehicles are ordered and we produce the 5,000 units to go on
them, it would result in a 50% increase in our business with Oshkosh. We are
pleased that they had the confidence in our ability to produce this important
system for the MTVR vehicle."
Williams Controls Industries Vice President and General Manager Dennis C.
Knowlton stated, "The air controls market has great potential for Williams
Controls, and is an important complement to our expanding electronic throttle
control (ETC) business. This contract from Oshkosh is an important part of
the realization of our vision to grow the Portland operation to $100 million
in revenues by being the preferred supplier to the heavy- and medium-duty
truck market for ATCs and ETCs. At the same time, we will continue to execute
our strategy to transfer our ETC expertise in trucks over to the automotive
and light truck market, as we seek to capture our share of this large and
emerging segment."
Mr. Knowlton continued, "In support of the ATC and ETC product lines, we
will be developing Internet website servicing access for our customers. These
sites will provide product information, specifications, product diagrams and
other information to make service after the sale as convenient and user-
friendly as possible for users of our systems."
Williams Controls is a leading manufacturer and integrator of innovative
sensors, controls and communications systems for the transportation and
communications industries. For more information, you can reach the Company at
http://www.wmco.com on the World Wide Web.
Forward-looking statements in this news release, if any, are made under
the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Certain important factors could cause results to differ materially from
those anticipated by the statements, including the impact of changing economic
or business conditions, the impact of competition, the availability of
financing, the success of products in the marketplace, other factors inherent
in the industry and other factors discussed from time to time in reports filed
by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.