Crown is one of the world’s foremost lift truck producers and progressive design leaders of IC forklift trucks for indoor and outdoor functions. Crown specializes in electric lift trucks used in distribution centres and production environments worldwide. Though a privately owned business, Crown has wide-ranging production capabilities around the world with plants located in China, the United States, Mexico, Germany and Australia.
Crown’s electric lift trucks are used daily to safely ship warehouse goods and materials. The company’s wide-ranging product line consists of power pallet trucks and stackers, narrow-aisle turret trucks, counterbalanced trucks (sit-down and stand up models), manual propelled pallet trucks and stackers, order picking equipment and narrow-aisle reach trucks.
Environmental management and preservation are a very important part of the Crown culture. Decades of thought leadership have enabled Crown to assist consumers while enhancing the environment. ISO 14001 certification has been attained for company stewardship and environmental efforts in manufacturing. Crown has proudly achieved numerous awards and recognitions for its preservation efforts, including the Ohio Governor’s Pollution Prevention Award and the Ohio Governor’s Environmental Sustainability Award.
Crown History - 1930's to 1950
Crown Equipment Corporation was first born is rural central American municipality known as New Bremen, Ohio, USA. The company has developed from a one-room outfit into a globally renowned organization, currently considered to be the 7th biggest forklift maker on the planet.
The Crown corporation was founded in 1945 by two brothers, Allen A. Dicke and the late Carl H. Dicke. Carl’s son and Chairman Emeritus, James F. Dicke, joined the family business later on that same year. At this time, his son, James F. Dicke II, is Chairman and CEO. James F. Dicke III, serves as the company President at the moment, becoming the fourth generation of the Dicke family to uphold this position.
Now an internationally diversified company, Crown initially built temperature controls for coal burning furnaces, servicing a small client base. The production of these control units took place in a former hardware store located in New Bremen, Ohio, where Crown’s center of operations currently remain.
In 1949, responding to the public’s increasing fascination with TV, Crown moved into the manufacture of antenna rotators. This product was utilized to enhance TV reception and picture quality. The company’s profitable move allowed them to become a leading maker of units until 2001. The company ceased production in October after a decline in the global need for TV antenna rotators.
Crown History -1950's to 1975
In the early 1950’s Crown diversified into the production and restoration of electronic and mechanized machinery for government and private market. After several profitable bids inside a brief period of time, the company had developed a respectable business in this field.
With such versatility and achievement, Crown was able to expand its production to incorporate materials handling equipment. Crown started the manufacture of forklifts and lift trucks in 1957. The company believed the industry required a smaller line of first-class quality forklifts. Crown quickly fashioned an exceptional range of progressive equipment and swiftly evolved into the most rapidly evolving material handling company with its variety of merchandise.
By 1966, Crown had ventured into the overseas material handling marketplaces by opening up shop in Sydney, Australia. Sydney is now a regional headquarters for Crown for all Pacific Asian sales, marketing, and services. Crown remains an unwavering market leader these days, supported by exceptional service, solid sales and solid manufacturing operations.
In 1968, Crown established itself in the European market by purchasing an Irish manufacturing plant from its parent company, Steinbock, who was a German firm. They started to manufacture Crowns’ (PTH), hand pallet trucks. Later that same year, Crown started their first London operation situated nearby Heathrow Airport. The sales and service operation of Crown’s comprehensive forklift line was available in the UK by the end of the decade. In the early 1970’s, Crown expanded and began marketing lift trucks across Europe through autonomous dealers.
History – 1975 to Present
These days, Crown manufactures a vast fleet of electric lift trucks. The company’s supplier network, located in key global markets, consists of both Crown-owned and independently-owned dealers. They are responsible for managing the company’s product sales and service.
Corporate offices in New Bremen, Ohio and Munich, Germany provide nationwide advertising and promotional sales support to all seller and sales personnel. Both Crown sales and seller personnel are factory- trained in all disciplines to ensure the utmost reliability and service. The Munich office was launched in the 1980’s and offers purchasing, marketing and advertising, engineering and design functions for India, Africa, the Middle East along with Europe. The diverse family of intercontinental dealers and Crown-owned dealers successfully operate in almost 100 overseas city environments.
Crown has established 6 manufacturing locations in the United States that include: New Knoxville; Celina, Ohio; Greencastle, Indiana; Kinston, North Carolina; Fort Loramie, Ohio; and New Bremen, Ohio. Serving their expanding foreign markets, Crown has manufacturing facilities in Sydney, Australia (since 1966); Queretaro, Mexico (since 1973); Roding, Germany (since 1986); and Suzhou, China (since 2006). Crown also owns branch sales and service center operations in over 30 locations in the USA. International branch sales and service center operations include locations in Singapore, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Korea, Malaysia, England, Germany, Belgium and Australia.
Crown has earned a profitable reputation as a dependable, trustworthy and forward-thinking organization by satisfied consumers worldwide. The company has earned over 50 distinguished design awards and the Crown goods continue to attain recognition for top design superiority and modernization. For example, in the 1970’s, Crown’s introduction of the side-stance design proved exciting and unparalleled by materials handling experts. Today, this design has acquired general acceptance and earned a Design of the Decade award from the International Design Society of America. Again, more than thirty years later, the 5200S Series Reach Truck is another market first, offering the operator with many comfort choices to lean, sit or stand, along with its unmatched productivity capacity.
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