Sixty forklift tynes on pallets were stolen from an outside storage location at a facility of Liftech Equipment Companies Inc in the town of Chile near Rochester. The items are valued at USD12,000.

Most were made by Cascade Corporation, says Matt Liestman, Liftech Equipment service manager in Chile.

"We have a couple of leads to the sheriff's department, but nothing came up," he reports. "In general, the scrap yards denied having seen any forks."

Liestman indicates some neighbouring businesses have experienced thefts of scrap metal.

No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains open, according to John Helfer speaking for the Monroe County's sheriff's department.

Multiple-brand forklift dealership Liftech Equipment is based in East Syracuse, New York and has five locations in New York State and one each in Vermont and Connecticut. The privately held business has about 170 employees.

Liftech Equipment started in 1964 as a division of the Syracuse Supply Company and was incorporated in 1988. The firm serves industrial, construction, distribution, pulp and paper and lumber markets in upstate New York, western Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont.