Plaintiff The Newstead Fire Company, Inc. (“Plaintiff”) has filed a federal antitrust class action on behalf of itself and all similarly situated entities, naming as defendants Oshkosh Corporation and its subsidiary Pierce Manufacturing, Inc., REV Group, Inc., Rosenbauer America LLC (together, the “Manufacturing Defendants”), and the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (together, the “Defendants”).
The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, alleges a decade-long conspiracy to artificially inflate firetruck prices and restrict supply across the United States. The complaint seeks treble damages, injunctive relief, and a jury trial on behalf of a nationwide class of fire departments and municipalities that purchased firetrucks from January 1, 2016, to the present.
Newstead Fire Company, a volunteer-staffed department serving roughly 8,700 residents in western New York, purchased an E-One Heavy Rescue Fire Truck during the class period. The complaint alleges that the defendants collectively control 70–80% of the U.S. firetruck market and used this dominance to suppress production, inflate prices, and harm municipalities across the country.
According to the complaint, firetruck prices have doubled over the past ten years, far outpacing inflation. Municipalities have been forced to hold onto older, less reliable equipment, redirect funds from other public services, and endure long delays in delivery.
The complaint details extensive corporate consolidation in the firetruck industry. REV Group, Inc., which operates multiple U.S. manufacturing plants under brands including E-ONE, KME, Ferrara, Spartan, Smeal, and Ladder Tower, controls roughly $1 billion annually, about a third of the U.S. market. Oshkosh Corporation, through its subsidiary Pierce Manufacturing, accounts for approximately $750 million annually and has expanded via acquisitions and dealer consolidations nationwide. Rosenbauer America LLC, a subsidiary of Austria-based Rosenbauer International, captures roughly $307 million annually, consolidating dealer operations to strengthen its market position.
“Municipalities across the country, from large cities to small volunteer departments, are paying inflated prices for essential emergency equipment,” said Michael Flannery, Partner at Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca and counsel for the plaintiffs. “This lawsuit seeks accountability and aims to restore fairness and competition to the firetruck market.”
The lawsuit alleges that this anti-competitive conduct violates Sections 1 and 3 of the Sherman Act and Sections 4 and 16 of the Clayton Act. It underscores the public safety implications of inflated prices and delayed deliveries, particularly for volunteer and smaller municipal fire departments.
The case is The Newstead Fire Co., Inc. v. Oshkosh Corporation et al., Case No. 1:25-cv-01693, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.