Clark has reacquired its 500,000th truck, which was in service 31 years.

Western Michigan University (WMU) began using a donated Clark C500 50 forklift more than three decades ago and, now, as a replacement, has taken possession of a donated Clark C25C forklift.

The forklift exchange has extra importance for the donor, Clark Material Handling Co. What the university operated was the 500,000th truck that Clark manufactured.

Clark donated the C500 50 to WMU in September 1977.

Joe Swelnis with the service support group for Clark technical publications conducted research to find and document this unit, says Scott Johnson, director of Clark dealer services. Now, this 500,000th truck "joins truck number one million here in our showroom in Lexington, Kentucky".

"This truck has served WMU faithfully and has never suffered a major mechanical failure."

In Kalamazoo, the WMU department of paper engineering, chemical engineering and imaging offers programs incorporating technologically advanced methods and tools and makes operational use of equipment in paper and coating pilot plants.

WMU used the forklift primarily in the paper pilot plant, a provider of workforce and facility research, product development and education for the public and educational communities within the paper, printing and allied industries. Joel Kendrick is director for the pilot plants on WMU's Parkview business technology and research campus.

"This truck is in excellent working condition and requires no restoration or modification work," Johnson notes. "We are going to put it in our showroom, but it is work-ready as it sits."

The Grand Rapids, Michigan location of Andersen & Associates Inc will handle service for WMU's new C25C forklift. The Andersen organization became a Clark dealer in April 2008.