On Wednesday, October 27th at approximately 2:00 p.m., the La Grange Park (IL) Police Department was alerted by a resident walking their dog of a possible burglary to a La Grange Park Fire Department vehicle.

Officers were dispatched to the 900 block of Forest Road where La Grange Park Ladder Truck #1219 was parked during a fire drill at Forest Road School. The resident had observed two black male subjects exit a gray-colored Porsche SUV and open the side compartments to the ladder truck.

Upon officers’ arrival and with the help of Fire Department personnel, it was determined that several pieces of equipment were removed from two storage compartments on the ladder truck and three saws and a generator were taken. A neighboring jurisdiction had a similar incident occur earlier in the day with a similar description of the offenders and vehicle.

Shortly before 4:00 p.m., the La Grange Park Police Department was notified by the Chicago Police Department that they had recovered the stolen property from a gray-colored Porsche that was used in another attempted burglary to a construction vehicle. The La Grange Park Police Department was also informed that all occupants inside the gray-colored Porsche were being detained by the Chicago Police Department for further investigation.

This incident is still under investigation and the Police Department would ask anyone with information to contact the Investigations Division at 1-708-352-7711 x207.

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) company, announced today the groundbreaking of a 90,000-square-foot expansion to the company’s 360,000-square-foot main facility located in Appleton, Wisconsin at 2600 American Drive. An additional 60,000 square feet of production space will also be added to Pierce’s Neenah, Wisconsin facility. Along with facility expansions, recruitment efforts have begun for the hiring of more than 200 jobs.

“As Pierce continues to develop innovative fire apparatus and technology, demand for our products has grown throughout the fire service community worldwide,” said Mike Kephart, vice president of operations for Pierce Manufacturing. “Work on the foundation for the expansion is already underway, with building construction beginning in January. The new areas of our production and testing facilities are expected to be operational by fall of 2022.”

Product demand has been the main driver for the need to increase space to produce fire trucks. The facility expansion will provide additional space for product assembly, material storage and testing of finished products.

The recruitment for more than 200 new team members is also underway for jobs which are instrumental to helping meet the increased customer demand.

Job openings include, but are not limited to:

• Welders
• Painters
• Electricians
• Assemblers

“Pierce Manufacturing is a subsidiary of Oshkosh Corporation, a Fortune 500 Company. Pierce’s experienced and dedicated workforce of more than 3,000 team members stand by the motto ‘Work That Matters’,” said Stephen Kohler, director of human resources for Pierce Manufacturing. “Our team members average over 12 years of experience, a quarter of the workforce has 20 or more years of experience, and we are known for offering competitive wages, benefits, and a culture committed to serving the brave men and women of the fire service. If you have a mechanical aptitude and are willing to learn, we are willing to train and invest in you.”

New Pierce team members are engaged in an initial training program before transitioning to their hired role. Additionally, each team member may access $10,000 per year for continuing education to pursue an associate, bachelors, or master’s degree.

To learn more about Pierce Manufacturing’s expansion and employment opportunities, visit www.piercemfg.com.

Reyco Granning has been working to integrate sustainability into daily operations in ways that advance our business, and honor our commitments as a responsible corporate citizen.

In 2020 we replaced all interior light fixtures with LED, this has reduced our electricity usage by 30% or 693,000 kilowatt hours annually. In 2021, we implemented modern air compressors and dryers greatly improving the quality of our compressed air and reducing electricity usage by an additional 2.5%. Most recently, we have added new aluminum recycling bins, installed programmable thermostats and eliminated rodent traps. In the spring of 2022, we will be planting trees on our unused acreage.

When asked his thoughts President John Stuart shared this, “These small measures reduce our carbon footprint, preserve nature, and keep our employees more comfortable. My leadership team will continue seeking these sorts of opportunities going forward.” 

We take great pride in our efforts to not only be more efficient but to also reduce our overall footprint in the community. We are constantly growing and pursuing new avenues to continue our overall sustainability.

For more information on Reyco Granning please visit our website at www.reycogranning.com.

The first glimpse of the Framingham (MA) Fire Department’s new Pierce apparatus has been had.

Still being manufactured at Pierce’s WI plant, E7 in all its glory can be seen below.

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First in person sighting of our new @FraminghamFire E7 on the blue floor in Wisconsin @PierceMfg Thanks to the @Framingham_MA for support. pic.twitter.com/KsdwVJMUlk

— john schultz (@schultzlad3der) November 1, 2021