Porter appointed Chief Financial Officer / VP of Finance

(Lexington,Ky July 15, 2004) – Chuck Martz, President of Link-Belt Construction Equipment Co. announces the appointment of Melvin Porter to the position of Chief Financial Officer/Vice President of Finance. In this position, Porter will be serving as a member of Link-Belt’s management team with the responsibility for all functional organizations within Finance, Accounting, Treasury, and Information Technology Services (IT).

Porter joined Link-Belt in January 1999 as financial planning and tax manager. For the last three and a half years he has also served as secretary of Link-Belt’s Board of Directors.

Previously, Porter worked in the public accounting sector with a CPA firm, and in the private sector as controller of Kentucky Electric Steel, Inc.

Link-Belt Construction Equipment Company, with headquarters in Lexington, Ky., is a leader in the design and manufacture of telescopic boom and lattice boom cranes for the construction industry worldwide.