Alta founder Steve Freenawalt

A prominent Michigan-based forklift dealership has added a location in Illinois.

A receptionist at Aurora Lift-Truck Service Inc began identifying the business in Montgomery as "a division of Alta equipment" in early December.

The location in Chicago's far western suburbs becomes the first non-Michigan site for Alta Lift Truck Services Inc and involves an ownership transition to Alta from the Rhoades family. Terms were not disclosed.

Fred Rhoades established Aurora Lift-Truck in 1972 with assistance from his wife, Barb, who took the helm after her husband died in 2007. Aurora Lift-Truck represents the Komatsu, Schaeff and Jungheinrich forklift brands.

Alta Lift, the new owner, represents Yale and other lines in Michigan.

Steven Greenawalt founded Alta in 1984 and expanded the dealership's geographic footprint in acquiring the assets of Detroit Forklift in April 2009 and those of Van's Industrial Equipment Co in October 2008.

Now, Alta Lift in its home state has metropolitan Detroit locations in Wixom, Sterling Heights, Romulus, Lansing and Saginaw and western Michigan sites in Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Zeeland and Battle Creek.