| Pierce Experience display will showcase manufacturing processes, company history, its people, and the vehicles |
Pierce Manufacturing, an Oshkosh Corporation company, and the leading U.S. manufacturer of fire and emergency vehicles, continues its 100th Anniversary celebration in Lucas Oil Stadium at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, Ind. Pierce plans to unveil an ambitious display on April 25 at 1:00 p.m. showcasing the people, the manufacturing processes, the company history and the vehicles that, together, comprise the Pierce Experience.
“As a part of our 100-year celebration, we are transporting the factory and the Pierce Experience to Indianapolis,” said Jim Johnson, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president of the Fire & Emergency segment and Pierce Manufacturing. “Annually, our Pierce Appleton facility hosts approximately 12,000 firefighters who witness the manufacturing processes and interact with the people who design and build Pierce apparatus. This year at FDIC, we are inviting visitors to take a factory tour to experience Pierce firsthand.”
Surrounding the Pierce booth will be eight stations representing key steps in the manufacturing process. At each station, visitors will be greeted by manufacturing personnel from the factory who represent each area. At the center of the booth is the renowned Pierce Blue Floor, where six completed fire and emergency vehicles will be standing by for final inspection.
The eight stations represent:
- Cab Welding station with a fully welded cab;
- Chassis Line with a bare chassis including engine and transmission;
- Cab Assembly with a finished cab;
- Body Line with a partially completed body module;
- Paint Operation showcasing the paint process and options;
- Graphics Department with hand drawn illustrations, and demonstrations of the unique Pierce gold leaf application process;
- Pumphouse Build with a completed pumphouse; and
- Aerial Assembly with an aerial ladder base section
A history timeline, with a century of Pierce milestones and innovations, will be displayed at the booth. The display offers an inside look at the world’s most innovative fire and emergency vehicles. We are reminded that a lot has changed over the last 100 years, but the passion at Pierce remains the same.