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MH Equipment Partners with OTTO Motors to provide Material Handling Automation Solutions

MH Equipment has announced its partnership with OTTO Motors, a provider of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). MH Equipment was selected as an OTTO Certified Dealer to develop, sell, deploy, and service OTTO Motors’ solutions. MH Equipment focuses on partnerships that meet the needs of their customers and the partnership created with OTTO Motors will help meet the rising demand for AMRs. It will also assist in solving top manufacturing challenges by implementing material handling automation solutions at scale.

www.mhequipment.com www.ottomotors.com

Steel King begins work on new headquarters

Steel King Industries has begun work on what will be the company’s new headquarters later this year. The building, located at 5233 Coye Dr, in Stevens Point, WI. The new facility is roughly three times the office space of Steel King’s current offices and is being designed to showcase the company’s products and solutions throughout the facility with new technology and an inviting environment that will help attract the talent needed to help propel Steel King forward for decades to come.

www.steelking.com

Marginal decline in Forklift Truck Sales in 2022 following historic 2021

The Industrial Truck Association (ITA) reports that forklift sales in the North American market remained robust for the second consecutive year during 2022 after reaching a record level in 2021. Despite headwinds from high levels of inflation and mixed economic indicators, retail orders decreased by only 1% year-over-year, closing out the year as the second highest on record. Year-end 2022 forklift truck sales of 344,330, spanning all classes (1-5), trailed the previous year (347,677) by slightly more than 3,000 units. Industry performance varied among the classes including electric rider trucks (Class 1 and Class 2 combined) and motorized hand trucks (Class 3) declining (y/y). Class 3 showed the greatest decline of 11%. Class 1 declined by nearly 10% and Class 2 declined by 8.3%. The market for internal combustion trucks, Classes 4 and 5, grew significantly (y/y). Class 4 showed growth of over 39% whereas Class 5 grew at a rate of 13.7%. www.indtrk.org

Rental Equipment Investment Corp. acquires Midstream Equipment Corporation

Rental Equipment Investment Corp. (“REIC”), a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries, LLC, has announced the acquisition of Midstream Equipment Corporation. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Midstream is a provider of specialty rental solutions for high-demand, critical applications in the oil & gas and large industrial sectors. Midstream represents REIC’s sixth add-on acquisition under Kinderhook’s ownership and the Company’s 18th since inception. “We are excited to welcome the Midstream team to REIC”, said Kevin Fitzgerald, Chief Executive Officer of REIC.

www.reicorporation.com www.midstreamequipment.com

Shifting Gears Industry personnel and organization news

CLARK appoints Mike Binnie as COO/ CAO of CLARK North America

CLARK Material Handling Company has announced the appointment of J. Michael Binnie as COO/CAO for its North America operations. In this role, Mr. Binnie will oversee daily operations at CLARK, working closely with the CLARK dealer network, facilitating the continued innovation of the company, as well as working closely with the CLARK management team to build on the success of the company with a long-term strategic plan.

www.clarkmhc.com

Hai Robotics USA changes leadership structure to support a growing American market

Bastian Solutions awarded Gold in the 2023 Edison Awards

Bastian Solutions was named a gold winner in the 2023 Edison Awards. The company is being honored in the Enhanced Automation category for its Bastian Solutions SmartPick™, a robotic bin picking solution, that combines cuttingedge AI-powered vision technology, industrial robotics, and goods-toperson technologies to create goods-to-robot solutions capable of picking the most complex assortment of products with 99.9% accuracy, gaining knowledge from previous picks to better handle various product shapes, sizes and surfaces.

www.bastiansolutions.com

Toyota donates $5,000 to Family Service, Inc. to support Mental Health Awareness

Last month the American leadership team at Hai Robotics USA advances deepened its investment and dedication to the U.S. market. Richie Chen, the founder and owner of Hai Robotics, will assume the role of U.S. General Manager, Brian Reinhart, formerly the Vice President of Sales, Solutions & Marketing, will take on the role of Chief Revenue Officer, and Brian Zheng, formerly the U.S. General Manager, will advance into the role of Vice President of Operations.

www.hairobotics.com www.toyotaforklift.com

Toyota Material Handling has recently donated $5,000 to Family Service, Inc., a nonprofit based in Columbus, Indiana, in support of Mental Health Awareness Month. The donation comes as a result of Toyota’s Executive Giving Program, which started in 2012 as a way to encourage the company’s leaders to get involved with and give back to a local organization they’re passionate about. Each year, Toyota’s senior leaders are allotted between $2,500 and $10,000 to donate to a local nonprofit that’s making a difference in the community.

Shifting Gears Industry personnel and organization news

Brenton appoints Nick Szczechowski as new Regional Sales Manager

Nick Szczechowski has been appointed as Regional Sales Manager covering the Midwest for Brenton. In his role, Szczechowski will be working with distributors, integrators, OEMs, and end-user customers to grow the company’s endof-line packaging systems. Brenton is a global provider in designing and manufacturing integrated end-of-line case packaging systems and machines, specializing in case packing and palletizing using both robotics and other automation. Szczechowski brings nearly 20 years of sales experience to Brenton.

www.brentonengineering.com

Papé Material Handling acquires Globe-Bay Area Forklift

Papé Material www.pape.com

Handling recently acquired Globe-Bay Area Forklift, effective May 12, 2023. No details of the acquisition will be released. Former Globe-Bay Area Forklift customers will gain access to Papé’s extensive selection of forklifts and other material-handling equipment. Both Papé and Globe-Area Forklift have a long history of serving their customers as family-owned businesses. Globe-Bay Area Forklift was founded in 1952 as Globe-Wally Forklift before being acquired by Bay Area Forklift in 1991.