Forklift maker in Summerville receives largest order

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Kion North America in Summerville has received its largest industrial truck order in the company’s history from a chain of home improvement stores headquartered in Wisconsin.

Kion North America will manufacture and supply Menards branded stores with more than 600 Linde industrial trucks that run on lithium-ion batteries. The company also will supply several FM-X Reach trucks from Still, another Kion brand, that will be automated by Atlanta-based Dematic.

Menard Inc. has 325 stores across 14 states in the Midwest, Kion said in a news release.

“When it comes to cost reduction in the warehouse environment, our new combination of proven Linde quality, total cost of ownership, lithium-ion batteries and hybrid automation gives Menards a significant competitive edge,” said Vincent Halma, president and CEO of Kion North America in a statement.

Halma said the company’s partnership with Dematic, another Kion brand, along with other technologies from other brand within the group, gives the company a stronger position to supply large retailers with integrated material handling solutions.