Industrial Vehicle Technology - June 2020
LOOKING BACK
2020-07-10 05:11:36
ROYAL ASSENT
Crown Equipment may be 75 this year but it remains in the hands of a family still intent on pushing the boundaries in warehousing
When brothers Carl and Allen Dicke founded Crown Equipment Corporation in New Bremen, Ohio, back in 1945, they could not have anticipated that 75 years later a fourth generation of the family would be leading the company from its New Bremen global headquarters and employing 16,000 employees worldwide.
Crown has a long history of developing advanced technology that has helped determine and define the future of material handling. After World War II it became a subcontractor to Joyce-Cridland, a firm that manufactured hydraulic lifts for cars, trucks and buses. Crown’s powered pallet truck was launched in 1962 and won a design excellence award from the American Iron and Steel Institute, laying the foundation for the company’s new brand image as a material handling company. Soon after this it began its first overseas operation in Australia. Today it boasts regional headquarters in Australia, China, Germany and Singapore and operates a service and distribution network that exceeds 500 retail locations in over 80 countries.
The company has continued to explore new technology right across its range. Most recently, it expanded its range of internal combustion engine counterbalance forklifts, enhanced the operator experience and efficiency with the introduction of the new InfoLink 7in Touch Display Module and announced a now line of lithium-ion-battery powered forklifts. As Crown enters the new decade and celebrates three-quarters of a century in existence, it is working closely with customers to anticipate and incorporate trends in the warehouse and broader supply chain.
“It’s exciting to think about what the company will accomplish in the next 75 years,” said Jim Dicke III, Crown president.
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