EXHIBIT 99 

            Cautionary Statements Pursuant to the Securities
                     Litigation Reform Act of 1995

The Company wishes to inform its investors of the following important factors 
that in some cases have affected, and in the future could affect, the Company's 
results of operations and that could cause such future results of operations 
to differ materially from those expressed in any forward looking statements 
made by or on behalf of the Company. Disclosure of these factors is intended 
to permit the Company to take advantage of the "safe harbor" provisions of the 
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Many of these factors have 
been discussed in prior SEC filings by the Company.  Though the Company 
has attempted to list comprehensively these important cautionary factors, the 
Company wishes to caution investors that other factors may in the future prove 
to be important in affecting the Company's results of operations.

Demand Variability -- Demand for new equipment manufactured by the Company 
tends to be cyclical, responding historically to varying levels of construction 
and industrial activity, principally in the United States and, to a lesser 
extent, in other industrialized nations.  Other factors affecting demand 
include the availability and cost of financing for equipment purchases, the 
market availability of used equipment and alternatives to purchases such as 
equipment leases directly from the Company.  Company management regularly 
monitors these and other factors that affect demand for the Company's 
equipment.  However, predicting levels of demand beyond a short term is 
necessarily imprecise and demand may at times change dramatically.

Consolidating Customers Base; Rental Companies -- The principal customers for 
the Company's new equipment are independent equipment rental companies that 
rent the Company's products and provide service support to equipment users. 
In recent years, growth in sales to equipment rental companies has outpaced 
growth in direct sales to end-users, resulting in equipment rental companies 
comprising a larger share of total sales.  At the same time, there has been 
substantial consolidation in ownership among rental companies, resulting in 
a more limited number of major customers comprising a substantial portion 
of total sales.  A change in purchasing decisions by any of these major 
customers could materially affect overall demand for the Company's products 
and the Company's financial performance.  More generally, during recessionary
conditions, demand for equipment by equipment rental companies typically 
declines more sharply than demand for equipment purchased by end-users.

Manufacturing Capacity -- Given the cyclical nature of demand, the Company must
periodically expand and contract its manufacturing facilities. Capital 
investment to acquire additional manufacturing facilities involves significant 
risks.  Excess manufacturing capacity adversely affects profitability because 
higher fixed costs are spread over a lower sales volume. Insufficient capacity 
adversely affects profitability as long lead-times required to fill customer 
orders may impair the Company's ability to compete for new business and 
subcontracting costs incurred to increase capacity affect profitability.  

Product Liability -- Use of the Company's products involves risks of personal 
injury and property damage and liability exposure for the Company. The Company 
insures against this liability through a combination of a self-insurance 
retention and catastrophic insurance coverage in excess of the retention. 
The Company monitors all incidents of which it becomes aware involving the 
use of its products that result in personal injury or property damage and 
establishes accrued liability reserves on its financial statements based on 
liability estimates with respect to claims arising from such incidents. Future 
or unreported incidents involving personal injury or property damage or
unanticipated variances between actual liabilities for known incidents and 
Company estimates may adversely affect the Company's financial performance.

Availability of Product Components -- The Company obtains raw materials and 
certain manufactured components from third-party suppliers.  To reduce material 
costs and inventories, the Company relies on supplier partnership arrangements 
with preferred vendors as a sole source for "just-in-time" delivery of many 
raw materials and manufactured components.  Because the Company maintains 
limited raw material inventories, even brief unanticipated delays in delivery 
by suppliers, including those due to capacity constraints, labor disputes, 
Year 2000 readiness, impaired financial condition of suppliers, weather 
emergencies or other natural disasters, may adversely affect the Company's 
ability to satisfy its customers on a timely basis and thereby affect the 
Company's financial performance.

Foreign Sales; Currency Risks -- A growing component of the Company's business 
has been export sales to Europe, Australia, Latin America and Asia.  
Maintenance and continued growth of this segment of the Company's business 
may be affected by changes in trade, monetary and fiscal policies, laws and 
regulations of the United States and other trading nations and by foreign 
currency exchange rate fluctuations and the ability or inability of the Company 
to hedge against exchange rate risks.

Competition; Continued Innovation -- The Company faces substantial competition 
in the market for its products.  Product line expansion by existing competitors
and potential entry by new competitors also may affect the Company's market 
position.  Throughout its history, the Company has devoted substantial 
resources to product development and has generally succeeded in being a market 
leader in introducing new high-reach products or incorporating new features and 
functions into existing products.  Successful product innovation by competitors 
that reach the market prior to comparable innovation by the Company or that 
are amenable to patent protection may adversely affect the Company's financial 
performance.

Mergers and Acquisitions -- The Company intends to pursue strategic 
acquisitions as a means of increasing sales and earnings and promoting 
shareholder value.  Acquisitions generally may involve a number of risks 
that may affect the Company's financial performance including increased 
leverage, diversion of management resources, possible shareholder dilution, 
assumption of liabilities of acquired businesses and corporate culture 
conflicts.  In addition, specific acquisitions may involve other risks unique
to the acquired business. Finally, there is no assurance that the Company will 
be able to conclude satisfactory agreements to acquire any businesses as a 
means to increase sales and earnings.

Unanticipated Litigation -- The Company occasionally has faced unanticipated 
intellectual property and shareholder litigation which has involved significant
unbudgeted expenditures.  The costs and other effects of any future, 
unanticipated legal or administrative proceedings may be significant.

Dependence Upon Key Personnel -- The Company believes that it has developed a 
strong management team, which intends to continue the Company's growth and 
profitability.  However, the loss or unavailability of certain key management
personnel, principally L. David Black, the Company's Chairman of the Board, 
President and Chief Executive Officer, could adversely affect the Company's 
business and prospects.