SHADY GROVE, Pa. - Grove Worldwide will suspend production of its Manlift aerial work platform line from October through December, according to sources citing a letter the manufacturer recently sent to employees.

Grove last week named John Wheeler president and chief operating officer, filling the positions left vacant when Jeffry Bust was promoted to chairman and CEO last October. Wheeler, who previously served as president of international operations, was unavailable for comment on revised manufacturing schedules, which also might include slowing crane production, sources say.

Grove's existing inventory levels are expected to keep dealers supplied through the end of the year.

In other Grove news, an Indiana jury recently found the company not guilty in its design of the controls on a scissor lift involved in a 1998 construction accident that left a pipefitter permanently disabled.