On the week of their 100 th anniversary, Columbus-based Cummins is announcing a year of record sales.
2018 sales were 16-percent higher than in 2017, despite challenges with tariffs and emissions regulations requirements.
Jon Mills is the director of external communications for Cummins.
“Tariffs have been a headwind for our company, just as they have been across the industry, across multiple industries,” Mills says.
The direct and indirect impact of tariffs was around $80 million, Mills says. He says tariffs will continue to be a challenge.
Costs of tariffs are mitigated by either absorbing the cost or adjusting prices.
Mills says Cummins’ priority is delivering products and services that are useful to customers.
“When we look at being successful, whether it’s here in the United States, in China, in India, South America or any of the other markets, what we try to do is make sure we better than anyone else understand what those customers’ needs are in those countries.”
Mills says profits are expected to improve by 4-percent this year.
Cummins plans to debut its first electric bus vehicle systems later this year.
