George G. Raymond Jr., who began working at Raymond Corp. when he was only 14, died on Jan. 5. He was 83. During the 42 years in which he ran the company, serving first as president (1953-1977) and then as chairman (1978-1994), Raymond Corp. grew from a $5 million business to a publicly traded corporation with annual revenues of $230 million.

A pioneer in the lift truck industry, Raymond spearheaded the development of the industry's first battery-powered narrow aisle lift trucks, providing warehouses with a revolutionary way to store materials and increase warehouse capacity.

"George was truly an industry innovator. The values and philosophies he instilled at Raymond remain a big part of this company today," says James J. Malvaso, president and CEO of Raymond.