As the vice president of global marketing at JLG Industries, Inc., Alan Loux is responsible for leading the company’s marketing activities worldwide, including strategic planning, product management, and marketing communications. Alan joined JLG in 2013 with more than 25 years of experience in marketing, innovation, and business management. The following is from a recent conversation with Alan about the workings of JLG.
How’s business for JLG?
LOUX: Fiscal 2015 was one of the best years in JLG history. There were some headwinds in the second half in North America related to softening in the Oil & Gas industry and unusually wet weather during peak construction season, but overall, JLG had a good year. We saw strong growth in Mexico, Europe, and Asia, as well.
What has influenced JLG and its product offerings?
LOUX: The voice of our customers and end users has the greatest influence on the products and services JLG offers. We are continuously talking with our customers to identify ways to better meet their needs.
How does JLG add benefit for the contractor?
LOUX: JLG products are all about improving productivity safely. We’ve improved our mid-size boom lifts to offer more productivity through increased boom speeds and industry leading capacity, improved serviceability through smart placement of service components, and improved durability with our new DuraTough hood material. Our redesigned telehandlers offer improved comfort with a redesigned, best-in-class cab, improved serviceability, and enhanced operator confidence with features like reverse sensing and a backup camera.
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JLG delivers best-in-class equipment designed to offer superior productivity, along with best-in-class training and service.
Based on your experience, what is one facet of business that can make a positive difference in a contractor’s operations?
LOUX: Maximizing productivity of assets and people can make a significant impact on the financial health of a contractor’s operations. Maximizing uptime of equipment, while minimizing operating and maintenance costs, is critical to a contractor’s operations.
In your opinion, what will be the top 3 pressing issues for the construction industry in 2016? Is JLG positioned to provide solutions?
LOUX: Safety on the jobsite is always a top industry concern. Secondly, the strength of industry demand, as both residential and non-residential construction are forecasted to grow in North America in 2016, though the overall market could be impacted by rapidly declining oil prices and increasing interest rates. Thirdly, finding skilled workers to meet the demands of the construction industry continues to be a pressing issue. JLG is poised to meet these demands through delivering best-in-class equipment that is designed to deliver safe products that offer superior productivity, augmented with best-in-class training and service.
What is your forward outlook for the construction industry in the New Year?
LOUX: The outlook for residential and non-residential construction looks good based on most key indicators, though oil prices and other macro-economic factors could temper that. We are cautiously optimistic that the construction industry should be poised for another year of growth in 2016. ■
For More Information: JLG Industries, Inc. is a world-leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of access equipment. The company’s diverse product portfolio includes leading brands such as JLG® aerial work platforms; JLG and SkyTrak® telehandlers; and an array of complementary accessories that increase the versatility and efficiency of these products. JLG is an Oshkosh Corporation company [NYSE: OSK]. For more information about JLG Industries, Inc., visit www.jlg.com.
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Modern Contractor Solutions – February 2016
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