E-One's Parent Company Buys KME

[x635 4,066]

The REV Group owns E-One Fire Apparatus, Wheeled Coach Ambulances, Road Rescue Ambulances, and several other companies.

Quote

 

REV Group, Inc. Acquires Kovatch Mobile Equipment Corp. ("KME")

(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.

1441 Brickell Avenue, Suite 1007

Miami, FL 33131

T (786) 464-8986

F (305) 374-0098

 

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

　

 

[x635 4,066]

This company also owns a whole bunch of RV brands, school bus manufacturers, and other specialty vehicle manufacturers. 

 

And the following ambulance manufacturers: Wheeled Coach, Horton, AEV, Road Rescue, Leader, Marque, and McCoy Miller.

 

What sucks about this to me is that another family owned fire service business becomes a thing of the past. But it seems this company has good intentions and will keep the brands separate, and keep the jobs.

[firebuff88 4]

KME seems to be doing well so it's kind of odd to see the family business being sold. Looks like they will be joining E-One in REV Group's Fire Division.

[x152 179]

Seth,

 

Although I share your sentiment about family owned companies, KME is an example of why family owned often fails for the customer.

 

Kovatch's little kingdom is riddled with incompetent family members and personal Kovatch buddies that have no business in the fire apparatus business.

 

As good as KME could be, they continually fail at many basic business tenants such as customer service and quality control of their product.

 

Their facilities are tired and ineffective and many of their senior "managers" are merely minions of the king. 

 

IMO, new ownership with a focus on their customers, product quality, timeliness of delivery, honesty, technology, and facility improvements could be a welcome improvement to this Company.  

 

 

[x635 4,066]

12 hours ago, x152 said:

IMO, new ownership with a focus on their customers, product quality, timeliness of delivery, honesty, technology, and facility improvements could be a welcome improvement to this Company.  

 

I hope so. I surely hope it isn't a repeat of what Daimler-Chrysler was trying to do buying a bunch of diverse brands, like Freightliner, Thomas School Buses, Medic Master Ambulance, Orion Buses, Sterling (Ford) Trucks, American LaFrance fire apparatus, Detroit Diesel, in an attempt to build their portfolio but instead running most of them all into the ground (now Freightliner and Western Star are making a comeback). This company seems more stable and focused though. I see E-One starting to make a comeback and quality reportedly is improving, as shown with recent large orders from Boston and Chicago, amongst others, who specifically went with E-One for E-One's quality (or what they claimed) and features offered, with other cities following suit. They've also been building heavy-duty ESU trucks for NYC for several years now.

But with you said, it could have gone imploded otherwise, and maybe the current KME ownership saw that and knew it was time to get out, and this was their golden parachute.