North American materials handling equipment provider Big Joe Forklifts is celebrating its 75th year of operation.

Big Joe was founded in 1951 by the Kiefus and Levine families in Chicago, to develop innovative warehouse equipment and, the company states, helped lead the industry’s transformation from internal combustion machinery to electric and now autonomous solutions.

Dan Rosskamm, president & CEO of Big Joe Forklifts, says while the 75th anniversary is cause for celebration, he is just as excited about what lies ahead.

“Big Joe is uniquely positioned to lead the electrification movement, providing purpose-built, integrated lithium solutions as a direct replacement for propane and diesel powered forklifts,” Rosskamm says.

“We are also emerging as a disrupter in the autonomous space, offering approachable solutions that simply work. The foundation built over the last 75 years is our launch pad for the next 75.” 

The first machine produced by Big Joe was the In Between Handling (IBH) manual straddle stacker in 1951 - which remains in production. 

Big Joe also introduced the E30 Electric Pallet Truck which helped establish the ITA Class 3.1 category.

More recently, Big Joe has invested in producing integrated lithium-ion forklifts and recently, launched its Big Joe Autonomous Solutions division.

“As we celebrate 75 years of Big Joe, we’re honouring the people, partnerships and innovations that have defined our journey,” says Martin Boyd, chief marketing officer of Big Joe Forklifts. “Our anniversary is not just a celebration of where we’ve been - it’s a statement about where we’re headed.”