Oshkosh appoints Marty Bass to lead Pierce Manufacturing

Pierce Manufacturing leadership appointment

Pierce Manufacturing has appointed Marty Bass as President of Pierce Manufacturing, effective 13 January 2026.

Bass’s responsibilities include oversight of Pierce Manufacturing, MAXIMETAL, Oshkosh Airport Products (ARFF) and Frontline Communications.

He joins Pierce following a 19-year career at Brunswick Corporation.

His most recent role there was President, Americas Market Operations for the Navico Group.

Role scope and background

Bass has more than two decades of leadership experience in global manufacturing businesses, with a background in operations, quality systems and complex supply chains.

During his tenure at Brunswick, he held roles including President of Mercury Marine’s Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

He also served as Vice President of Global Category Management and Strategy at Mercury Marine.

Mike Pack, Oshkosh Corporation Executive Vice President and President, Vocational, said: “Marty is a proven leader with a deep understanding of how to deliver quality, efficiency and long-term growth to meet the critical needs of our customers.

“As Pierce continues to make significant investments in people and across operations, Marty’s experience leading advanced manufacturing organizations will be instrumental in helping us remain focused on what matters most: delivering safe, reliable, quality fire apparatus while being thoughtful stewards of our customers’ resources.”

Current operating context and investment claims

The company said Bass joins as departments across North America face increased budget pressures, industry-wide extended lead times and rising operational demands.

Pierce described its response as more than $150 million in capital investment and capacity expansions, process improvements and workforce development aimed at strengthening quality and improving production flow to reduce delivery timelines.

Bass said: “I’m honored to join Pierce Manufacturing and build upon the legacy of craftsmanship, innovation and customer commitment which defines this organization.

“Fire departments and their communities rely on Pierce apparatus to perform in the most critical moments, and that responsibility guides every decision we make.

“My focus will be on supporting our teams, reinforcing quality and operational discipline, and ensuring we continue to earn the trust of our customers and the fire service community.”

Before his corporate career, Bass served as an officer and engineer in the United States Navy within the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.

He holds dual master’s degrees in business administration and engineering management from Northwestern University.

He also holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.