 Bill Bolin with plaque recognising his 52 years with Lift Truck Center Inc |
At 88 years old, Bill Bolin "still works a full day, every day," says Doug Iannone, who is Bolin's successor as president of the Lift Truck Center Inc.
"Bill is a very humble man who doesn't bring the spotlight on himself," Iannone says. "He is quite articulate and quick on his feet."
Lift Truck Center held a party in Bolin's honour on 5 October. Among more than 100 in attendance were many former and retired employees, with some travelling significant distances to be a part of the celebration.
Four members from Toyota Material Handling USA are scheduled to visit Wichita to honour Bolin later this month.
Bolin was born in Arkansas, moved to St Louis and served with the US Marine Corps.
His career in materials handling equipment started in 1954 with a Hyster dealership in St Louis. Bolin took responsibility for sales of the Allis-Chalmers Corp line, primarily agricultural equipment including A-C's newly acquired Buda Engine Co operations.
Subsequently, Bolin moved to Kansas City, Missouri to sell Allis-Chalmers forklifts until Clark made me an offer in 1961 involving the Wichita market and Lift Truck Center predecessor Oliver Handling.
Bolin was named president of the business on 25 March 1985.
"Bill continues to be active in all of the day-to-day details as he transitions into retirement and brings me and Bob Camp, our new vice president of operations, up to speed," Iannone says. Iannone will oversee both locations and manage the day-to-day details of the Springfield branch, while Camp manages the Wichita operation.
Regarding forklift industry changes he has experienced, Bolin cites the introduction of power-shift transmissions, power-steering systems and "padded seats instead of a tractor seat". He acknowledges that materials handling equipment is a mature business (with) not too much evolving.
In late August, Lift Truck Center added contiguous territory in acquiring the Springfield, Missouri branch of Southern Material Handling Co, which established the location in a 2002 expansion. Southern Material Handling continues with Oklahoma operations in its Tulsa headquarters and a Muskogee branch.
"We were in a buying mood," Bolin says. "It was a going concern."
Lift Truck Center has 25 employees, including nine technicians at its 15,000 sqft. (1,394 sqm) facility in Wichita, and 17 employees in the 10,000 sqft. (929 sqm) branch in Springfield. Five other technicians work from remote locations in the market.
The Wichita location serves 80 counties, and the Springfield market covers 24 counties.
Lift Truck Center represents Toyota and Sellick in both locations and Crown and Doosan only in the Wichita facility. Both locations offer industrial forklifts, warehouse racks and shelving, forklift parts and services, forklift rentals and aftermarket support.
For the Kansas market, Lift Truck Center added Crown around 1958, Doosan predecessor Daewoo in 1993 and Toyota in 1995. Clark representation was dropped recently.
Third-generation family-owned Murfin Inc acquired the Lift Truck Center business from Oliver Handling in 1982. Diversified Murfin also owns Wichita-based contract drilling and well services operator Murfin Drilling Company Inc and John Deere construction equipment dealership Murphy Tractor & Equipment Co Inc of Park City, Kansas with 28 locations including 10 in Ohio, five each in Kansas and Nebraska, four in Iowa and two each in Missouri and Pennsylvania.
Bolin has a tight-knit family including two sons and three daughters, nine grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. All live nearby. One of the grandsons, Phillip Bolin, 29, works for Lift Truck Center in customer service sales. "Phillip is enthusiastic, and that is what it takes," Bill Bolin notes.
Bolin's first wife died after they were together for 52 years, and Bolin married his second wife, Traci, in 2001. They have a 10-year-old daughter.
"I have been blessed with my life," Bolin says.
As for his retirement plans, Bolin says he has none. "Work has been my recreation for the last 50 years," he notes, but now he may consider opportunities for volunteer service in his community.