skip to main content

Press Releases

Pierce-Announces-Several-New-Patent-Awards-for-its-Ascendant-Class-of-Aerial-Apparatus_Header.jpgPierce announced that it has recently been awarded several new US Patents, with several additional patents pending, for its expanding line of Pierce® Ascendant® aerial apparatus. The newly granted patents protect several innovative technologies, and encompass many aspects of the Ascendant aerial’s components, operating systems and configurations.

APPLETON, Wis. (March 30, 2017) – Pierce Manufacturing, Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) company, announced that it has recently been awarded numerous new US Patents, with several additional patents pending, for its expanding lineup of Pierce® Ascendant® heavy-duty aerial apparatus. The newly granted patents protect several innovative technologies, and encompass many aspects of the Pierce Ascendant aerial’s components, operating systems and configurations.

The Pierce Ascendant is the most popular new aerial apparatus in the company’s history. “Since its debut less than two years ago, the Pierce Ascendant ladder has changed the paradigm of what can be accomplished on a single rear axle vehicle configuration – but that’s just the start,” said Jim Johnson, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president of the Fire & Emergency segment and Pierce Manufacturing. “These newly awarded patents represent thousands of engineering and R&D hours, assuring Pierce customers that they are investing in state-of-the-art equipment that helps them perform at the highest level.”

The Pierce Ascendant ladder’s unmatched maneuverability and performance – and industry-leading 107-foot vertical reach in the single rear axle category – set a new benchmark for the category. Its weight-optimized design structure places weight and mass only where required. To validate its heavy-duty credentials, Pierce’s R & D team successfully completed three phases of a fatigue test on the Ascendant that demonstrate the equivalent of 20 years of service life.

The patent awards represent a collaborative effort, including teams from Pierce and its parent company, Oshkosh Corporation. “Many of the technologies covered under these new patents will make their world debut at FDIC in Indianapolis,” noted Johnson. “As we continue to expand the Ascendant class of aerial apparatus, we will seek patent protections whenever possible.”

The Pierce Ascendant aerial is available on a wide range of Pierce custom chassis and body styles, providing firefighters flexibility and a wide range of options to meet each department’s needs.

View All Press Releases

Subscribe & Keep Up To Date

Yes, I want to become a Pierce guru!


Topics: Innovation, Tradeshows


About Pierce Manufacturing
Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation [NYSE: OSK] company, is the leading North American manufacturer of custom fire apparatus. Products include custom and commercial pumpers, aerials, rescue trucks, wildland trucks, mini pumpers, and homeland security apparatus. In addition, Pierce designs its own foam systems and was the first company to introduce frontal airbags and the Side Roll Protection system to fire apparatus. To learn more about Pierce, visit www.piercemfg.com.

About Oshkosh Corporation

At Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK), we make innovative, mission-critical equipment to help everyday heroes advance communities around the world. Headquartered in Wisconsin, Oshkosh Corporation employs approximately 17,000 team members worldwide, all united behind a common purpose: to make a difference in people’s lives. Oshkosh products can be found in more than 150 countries under the brands of JLG®, Hinowa, Power Towers, Pierce®, MAXIMETAL, Oshkosh® Defense, McNeilus®, IMT®, Jerr-Dan®, Frontline™ Communications, Oshkosh® Airport Products, Oshkosh® AeroTech™ and Pratt Miller. For more information, visit oshkoshcorp.com.

®, ™ All brand names referred to in this news release are trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation or its subsidiary companies.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that the Company believes to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s future financial position, business strategy, targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital expenditures, debt levels and cash flows, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “project” or “plan” or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include the Company's ability to successfully integrate the AeroTech acquisition and to realize the anticipated benefits associated with the same; the risks associated with international operations and sales, including compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act;  the Company’s ability to comply with complex laws and regulations applicable to U.S. government contractors; cybersecurity risks and costs of defending against, mitigating and responding to data security threats and breaches impacting the Company; the Company’s ability to successfully identify, complete and integrate other acquisitions and to realize the anticipated benefits associated with the same; and risks related to the Company’s ability to successfully execute on its strategic road map and meet its long-term financial goals. Additional information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update information contained in this news release. Investors should be aware that the Company may not update such information until the Company’s next quarterly earnings conference call, if at all.

# # #