The winner of Mitsubishi's Keeps on Running competition

A 27-year-old forklift has been named the winner of Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks' 'Keeps on Running' contest.

The winning forklift is a 1982 FGC25 Mitsubishi forklift used by Prescher Willette Seeds, a soybean farming company in Minnesota. The forklift has had the same operators since it was purchased.

The competition called for people to show how their Mitsubishi forklift had withstood the test of time (FLA #372 )
The family-run business was founded in 1933 and raises, cleans, packs and ships more than 100,000 bags of soybeans on their 3,500-acre farm each year. As the winner of the contest, the company received a brand new FGC25N Mitsubishi forklift truck.

The former demo forklift was purchased from Herc-U-Lift of Maple Plain in 1986.

Mike Hughes, plant manager of Prescher Willette Seeds, says the company has two Mitsubishi forklifts that are more than 20 years old. "We run them hard, especially in our busy spring and autumn seasons.

"We've never had a need to replace the forklifts because they are so dependable and are always ready to run when we are," he says.

The old forklift will not be out to pasture, Hughes says they will continue to use it.