(April 11, 2016) - REV Group, Inc. (“REV Group”), a leading manufacturer of specialty vehicles for commercial, fire & emergency and recreation markets, announced today the acquisition of Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp. (“KME” or the “Company”).

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, KME has grown to over 800 associates with company operations in Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, and California.  The Company produces a broad portfolio of high quality and customized specialty vehicle products, and markets them to fire-rescue, military, aviation, and industrial customers globally.  KME’s products include fire apparatus (pumpers, aerials, tankers), rescue vehicles, and fuel trucks, among others.

“Over a span of 70 years, our family and company associates have proudly served our customers,” stated John Kovatch III, President & CEO of KME.  “We are very proud of what our employees have accomplished over that time span and thank them for their hard work and dedication to outstanding customer service.  REV Group has great expertise in the specialty vehicle industry and we look forward to even further growth with them in the years ahead,” he added.

Concurrent with the transaction close, John Kovatch III will be leaving his position as KME’s President & CEO, however he will play an integral role during the transition phase as KME becomes part of the REV group.  John will interact directly with Tim Sullivan, REV’s Group CEO. 

The Company headquarters and its primary manufacturing operations will remain in Nesquehoning, PA. This facility along with other KME facilities in Roanoke, VA; Ontario, CA; Albany, NY; and Rockaway, NJ will continue to be an integral part of their operations. KME also has an extensive independent dealer network that will continue promoting and selling the KME brand and product portfolio worldwide.

 “We are extremely excited to have KME join REV Group,” stated Tim Sullivan, CEO.  “KME brings a tremendous brand, a talented group of employees and a world class product portfolio that adds to our capabilities to better serve our customers’ and dealers’ needs throughout the country,” he added.  “Additionally, John’s breadth of industry experience will be very beneficial after the acquisition and I look forward to working with him.  We congratulate him on his leadership over the past several decades which has resulted in the outstanding business that exists today,” Sullivan concluded.  

The transaction is expected to close early in the second quarter of 2016.

About REV Group, Inc.

REV Group, Inc. is an approximately $2 billion sales manufacturer of industry-leading specialty vehicles serving multiple markets.  Within the commercial division, REV offers a full line of buses, terminal trucks, sweepers, and mobility conversion vehicles.  The fire & emergency division offers a complete line of fire apparatus and ambulance vehicles.  Within the recreation vehicle division, the company produces motorized RVs under several of the industry’s most iconic brands.  For more information about REV visit www.REVgroup.com

VAN WERT, OH—Braun Industries, Inc. is gearing up to attend FDIC International 2016. Being held in Indianapolis, IN, April 18-23, 2016, the custom ambulance manufacturer will have units on display in Booth #3665. More importantly, Braun is planning to debut footage from an ambulance crash test completed earlier this year. As the fire/EMS industry's first ambulance rollover test, the video shows the incredible force exerted on an emergency vehicle and the effect on the module from a side-impact accident. Featuring a Braun ambulance that is over ten years old, it is also a testament to the safety and quality of Braun Industries' unique SolidBody™ Construction.

"This is something we've been working on for quite a while," says Braun Industries, Inc. President, Kim Braun. "We are eager to show it first at FDIC International 2016; having the opportunity to view the crash test footage with our dealer representatives and customers in person—together—at our largest trade show is something we're very excited about. We have always been a company committed to safety and quality, but the strategic investment to conduct the industry's first rollover crash test is helping us take it to the next level with tangible proof. We want to lead the way in ambulance safety and design, and one of the ways we can do that is by ensuring our emergency vehicles meet and exceed current safety standards. Developing repeatable crash test scenarios in a controlled environment takes a lot of time and money-and it's not an investment our competition has been willing to make yet. We felt this was a critical initiative to undertake sooner than later, and we're looking forward to sharing the results at FDIC 2016 International first." 

According to data collected between 1992 and 2011 through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrative and U.S. Department of Transportation, there is an estimated average of 4,500 vehicle traffic crashes involving an ambulance each year. Of those accidents, 34 percent result in injuries and an average 33 people are killed. Recognizing the need for improved standards, new guidelines have been introduced in recent years for ambulance safety and design. Braun Industries, Inc. has focused its crash testing on meeting and exceeding the standards set forth by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The rollover test that will debut at FDIC 2016 most closely compares to the proposed SAE J3057 body integrity test.

SAE J3057 outlines proposed procedures for conducting quasi-static structural integrity testing of the patient compartment for ground-based ambulance applications. Developed by members of the SAE Truck Crashworthiness Committee, it applies science to the design and testing of the patient compartment structure for a standardized, data-based approach to ambulance safety. This particular test focuses on the modular body and roll impact loading, or in simpler terms, how well the box holds up in the event of a rollover.

The crash test footage will be shown first at FDIC International 2016, giving show attendees an exclusive look at how the Braun ambulance module holds up in an accident rollover. Condensed into a two-minute film, the video will be presented on a continuous loop in Booth #3665. Fou

By Carl J. Haddon

Have you ever been to FDIC International (Fire Department Instructors Conference) in Indianapolis, Indiana? This April 18-23, marks the annual biggest week in the American fire service. Don’t be fooled by the name—although the training part of the conference is geared toward those of us who teach fire service classes, this is the Mecca of all opportunity to experience the latest and greatest in “our” firefighting world. Structural, wildland, industrial, urban, rural, career, combination, or volunteer—we all meet in Indianapolis, and there is more than something for all disciplines.

I am blessed to once again be one of the instructors for FDIC International 2016, but that is only relevant because of how I discovered FDIC International myself. Prior to 2010, I thought FDIC was a federal banking institution. I had not previously been introduced to this overwhelming concentration of Brotherhood and Sisterhood and everything that you could ever imagine that is fire service related compiled under two roofs (Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium). I have to admit that since 2010, there is no product, fire apparatus, service, training, or equipment that I haven’t been able to find or find information about in Indy.

Some of you have been to Indy, some of you haven’t, and some of you wish you could go but don’t have the budget or the personal funds to make the trip. Listen, for those of you who don’t have the personal funds or the department budget (like the rural department that I worked for) to send you to Indianapolis for FDIC, you are not alone. BUT, that is no reason not to benefit from FDIC!

As I mentioned, I am blessed to be an instructor at FDIC and a columnist for this magazine. Otherwise, I too, would be challenged to have the funds to make the pilgrimage to FDIC each year. That said, there is no reason why you and your department can’t benefit from what goes on in Indy next week. If the funds aren’t available for you or your department to attend in person, hitch a ride with a member from a department who is sending a member or members.

For those of you who don’t know, I have semi-retired to the rural Rocky Mountains of central Idaho, where I served as a Deputy Chief of a rural volunteer department for 10 years. I have offered to let local fire departments use me as an “information gatherer” for departmental needs and information on equipment, apparatus, and fire service related services that are imperative to the survival of these small rural volunteer departments.

We call ourselves “Brothers and Sisters.” Brothers and Sisters who are fortunate enough to attend FDIC as instructors, students, or simply trade show attendees should avail themselves to departments that are not quite as fortunate. This year, I will be the eyes and ears for the Elk Bend Volunteer Fire Department and the Salmon River Division of the Idaho State Search and Rescue Organization for gathering information and materials relative to their wants, needs, and wish lists.

If you would like to learn more about all of the latest and greatest that FDIC has to offer, I encourage you to reach out to someone in a neighboring department or even a department from a neighboring state that has someone attending FDIC. Ask him or her to look into the goods or services or classes that are important to you. A REAL Brother or Sister would gladly jump at the opportunity to