EDO heads to Iraq's front lines
NORTH AMITYVILLE – EDO Corp. on Friday received an order from the U.S. Marine Corps to support mine-protected transport and minesweeping vehicles currently operating in Iraq.
http://www.libn.com/breakingNews.htm?articleID=5455
By Henry E. Powderly II
Friday, July 28, 2006 09:59 AM EDT
The order, which was placed by the Commercial Enterprise Omnibus service support process for the Marine Corps Systems Command, is valued at $4.5 million – with the possibility for two more years of service, valued at $5 million per year.
EDO will provide service for the Cougar family of vehicles – used for troop transport, ambulance services and minesweeping – as well as the Buffalo mine clearance vehicle. The Buffalo, which weighs 23 tons, gives the Marines a chance to inspect improvised explosives before clearing them.
The Cougar and Buffalo vehicles are manufactured by Landon, S.C.-based Force Protection Inc.
New York-based EDO Corp. employs 410 people at its Long Island operations in North Amityville and Bohemia.
On Thursday, the company announced it will acquire Huntsville, Ala.-based CAS Inc., an engineering and weapons analysis company, for $176.6 million, as well as Nashua, N.H.-based Impact Science & Technology Inc., another defense contractor, for $124 million.
Shares of EDO (NYSE: EDO) gained 10 cents to $22.92 apiece in Friday morning trading.