Introducing a new topic for you, our readers – Brand News! When the forklift brands our company partners with do newsworthy things, we’ll bring you the details.

No fluff, just good useful information to keep you up to date. Let’s get started.

Manitou Earns an Environmental Award for Making a Telehandler ‘Go Electric’

The Manitou Group has been honored with the ‘Drive to Zero’ Innovation Award for an electric retrofit of one of its telehandlers. The retrofit reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% and the total environmental impact by 25% compared to an IC version.

“Drive to Zero” is an exhibition held in France yearly, highlighting innovative approaches to decarbonization. English website is: https://event.drivetozero.fr/en/

If electric retrofitting can be done on more existing equipment, it could bring huge cost savings to companies with large fleets. We’ll keep an eye on this one!

Linde Introduces 3 New Automated Forklift Products

Linde has added three new models to its automated forklift portfolio. The new models are: 

• K MATIC K VNA Turret Truck
• R-MATIC K Reach Truck
• L MATIC AC K Counterbalanced Pallet Stacker (with cantilevered forks)

These new trucks use reflector technology for navigation, and feature a sensor-based pallet positioning system that precisely lines up forks with pallets.

Asked about the announcement, Sales Manager Craig Seager said, 

“Not only does this announcement improve customer choice in automated vehicles, but this Linde announcement conveys a logistical benefit. The Kion Group owns Dematic, a leader in intralogistics technologies handling mixed case fulfillment, pallet, and related systems. So these new vehicles further enhance Kion’s ability to build complete material transport solutions.”

Bobcat Raising Awareness of National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month

Did you know July is National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month?

Bobcat’s July 8 press release shares some dire statistics about industrial vehicle theft. Heavy equipment theft in the construction industry alone costs between $300 million and $1 billion every year.

You CAN do something about it – using telematics tracking and remote engine enable/disable to keep your equipment in your hands. Please consider this a reminder (from Bobcat and the Forklifts Group) to take a fresh look at your site security.

Giving Back: Bobcat and Josh Duhamel Give New Utility Vehicle to LA Fire Department

Last month, actor & director Josh Duhamel met with the Los Angeles Fire Department. He came bearing gifts – a brand-new Bobcat UV34XL utility vehicle.

Bobcat began a recognition campaign called, “Work Worth Doing” earlier this year. The campaign celebrates contributors to their communities. In this case, Duhamel and Bobcat wanted to honor the firefighters who fought the recent LA fires so steadfastly.

Said Duhamel:

"We believe, myself and Bobcat, that the firefighters deserve the best tools out there, and that’s why we wanted to donate this machine. I think that anytime you can support those who are protecting others is definitely work worth doing."

We couldn’t agree more.

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Until next month!

-The Forklifts Group Team

Deal of the Month

2017 Doosan GC50C-5 LPG – $21,900

For our July Deal, we’re offering a high-capacity Doosan.

The GC50C is a cushion-tire forklift with a 10,000# load capacity. Meant for heavy-duty indoor use. Currently it has 4,477 hours on it. The Service team did a full-factory reconditioning to bring it up to specs.

Interested? You can pick up this 2017 Doosan for only $21,900. This unit is available to California customers and can be shipped.

To get this Deal, call Forklifts Group at 800-464-3225 and ask for the July Deal of the Month!