Oshkosh Only Auto and Truck Manufacturer To Make List; Oshkosh Truck Earns Spot on Forbes' Platinum 400 List

12 January 2001

Oshkosh Only Auto and Truck Manufacturer To Make List; Oshkosh Truck Earns Spot on Forbes' Platinum 400 List

    OSHKOSH, Wis.--Jan. 12, 2001--Oshkosh Truck Corporation has been named one of the "Platinum 400," or the "400 Best Big Companies in America," in the January 8 issue of Forbes. Companies are selected based on a combination of "long-term and short-term return on capital, growth in both sales and earnings and in still other financial metrics." This is Oshkosh's first year on the list.
    According to Forbes, "companies listed share some personality traits... -- innate ability to adapt to change; a hunger to innovate and go against the grain; resiliency in a down industry and amid doubts on Wall Street; and a relentless will to be miserly even in boom times."
    Oshkosh ranked 82nd on the list in five-year stock price change with 289 percent.
    The company also delivered the highest five-year average sales growth, 29 percent, among just 18 capital goods companies included in the top 400. Earnings per share increased 60.8 percent over the last three years.
    "We're proud to be selected as a Platinum 400 company. We believe this listing is the result of Oshkosh's remarkable performance over the past few years, which has come from focusing on our customers and their requirements," said Robert G. Bohn, chairman, president and CEO of Oshkosh Truck. "We have modernized our operations, realigned our processes and taken advantage of economies of scale as we've grown. But our long-range plan has focused on becoming a leader in key specialty truck and truck body industries for fire and emergency, defense, concrete placement and refuse hauling.
    "Inside these businesses, we've expanded through acquisitions and introducing innovative new products and technologies," Bohn said. "We've acquired companies with which we can broaden our market share. We've introduced new models that are based on our high standard of engineering and customer research. And, we focus on customer service.
    "In addition, our new overseas initiatives doubled our international sales in fiscal 2000."

    Oshkosh Truck Corporation is a leading manufacturer of specialty trucks and truck bodies for the defense, fire and emergency, concrete placement and refuse hauling markets. Oshkosh Truck is a Fortune 1000 company with products marketed under the Oshkosh, Pierce and McNeilus brand names. The company is headquartered in Oshkosh, Wis., and has annual sales of $1.324 billion.

    For more information about Oshkosh Truck Corporation, log onto its web site at www.oshkoshtruck.com. More information can also be found in the January 8 issue of Forbes and at http://www.forbes.com/platinum400.