Forklift manufacturer Raymond Corporation and Toyota Material Handling have opened the Energy Solutions Manufacturing Center of Excellence in New York to manufacture battery technology for their products.

The centre, to be managed by Raymond Corporation, will produce lithium-ion batteries and thin plate pure lead battery technology for the Toyota and Raymond fleet of vehicles.

Raymond Corporation and Toyota Material Handling are both part of Toyota Material Handling North America (TMHNA).

Raymond Corporation president and chief executive officer Michael Field says the opening “marks a significant milestone in our company’s journey”.

Raymond’s vice president energy solutions, suppy chain and leasing, Jennifer Lupo adds: “This facility is a testament to our long, rich history of innovation and developing advanced technologies. With the growing range of solutions available to support electric-powered equipment in facilities, we’re excited to continue driving industry advancement through our latest innovations and offerings.”

Toyota Material Handling vice president engineering, Josh Linnemann continues: “We are dedicated to powering a greener future, and this strategic investment will help us on that mission”.

“Most important, we are committed to doing whatever it takes to solve our customers’ evolving problems," Linnemann continues. "The Energy Solutions Manufacturing Center of Excellence will allow us to create so much value for our customers by developing and producing solutions to meet each customer’s unique needs.”

TMHNA has six manufacturing plants in the United States across 232,000 sqm, producing more than 1,500 forklifts weekly, with annual revenue of USD4 billion.