Kion North America lands order for 600 li-ion powered lift trucks

Lift truck manufacturer Kion North America will supply 600 lithium-ion powered Linde industrial trucks to Wisconsin-based home improvement retailer Menard Inc. (Menards), the company said today.

The order represents the largest in Kion North America's history and is in partnership with its fellow Kion Group brand, Dematic, the company said. Menards is a privately held company based in Eau Claire, Wis., with approximately 325 home improvement stores throughout the Midwest.

In addition to the 600 Linde trucks, the deal calls for Kion to manufacture and supply several FM-X Reach trucks from Still, another Kion brand, that will be fully automated by Dematic. In addition to being Kion North America's largest order ever, it represents "the biggest lithium-ion order ever received in North America," according to Michael Gore, Kion North America's vice president of sales.

Kion showcased the strength of its Kion, Linde, and Dematic brands during the ProMat material handling industry conference in Chicago earlier this year. Germany-based Kion Group AG made headlines with the purchase of Atlanta-based Dematic in 2016.