JLG sales to customers external to parent company Oshkosh Corp. jumped 60.7 percent to $619.6 million in its fiscal fourth quarter, according to results posted by Oshkosh Corp. this week. The increase was primarily the result of demand for replacement equipment in North America and parts of Europe. In addition to sales to external customers, access equipment segment sales in the fourth quarters of fiscal 2011 and 2010 included sales to Oshkosh’s defense segment of $53.9 million and $151.1 million, respectively. Including sales to the defense segment, access equipment segment sales increased 25.5 percent for the fiscal fourth quarter compared with the same period a year ago.

In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011, access equipment segment operating income increased 376.7 percent to $34.8 million, or 5.2 percent of sales, compared to prior year fourth-quarter operating income of $7.3 million, or 1.4 percent of sales. The increase in operating income reflected higher volume with external customers and lower facility rationalization costs, offset in part by an increase in raw material costs and the decrease in intersegment sales of M-ATVs at mid single-digit margins.

"We are pleased with the continued improvement in our global access equipment markets during the fourth quarter, with orders rising 91 percent compared to the fourth quarter of the prior year," said Charles Szews, Oshkosh Corp. president and CEO. "Despite the continued uncertain economic environment, rental equipment utilization and rental rates strengthened during the fourth quarter in North America, and emerging markets continue to exhibit positive growth trends. We continue to expect strong growth in this segment in fiscal 2012.”

Oshkosh Corp. is based in Oshkosh, Wis. Its access division, JLG Industries, is based in McConnellsburg, Pa.