The following magazine tribute characterises a business entrepreneur with a portion of his focus on the forklift industry:
"Maybe the best way to describe what Don Landoll has built is with a rough math equation: Vision plus determination squared, times 48 years of persistence, equals the Landoll Corp."

Landoll was profiled among "50 Kansans You Should Know" in the January issue of Ingram's magazine.

Before his 20th birthday, Don Landoll, a partner and one hired man opened Quick Service Welding Co on 16 December 1963 as a typical welding, radiator repair and blacksmith shop in Marysville.

Almost five decades later and often expanded, successor business Landoll Corp employs more than 750 staff including 500 in Marysville and has multiple agricultural, transportation and materials handling business lines including forklifts.

The innovative design and manufacturing firm began building specialty warehouse forklifts under the Bendi and Pivot Mast trade names in 1994 and acquired the Drexel forklift line with its SwingMast technology in April 2003.

Landoll's materials handling division manufactures multiple product lines of narrow- and very-narrow-aisle forklifts and says these products can increase a customer's space utilisation, improve productivity and offer flexibility.

Landoll says its Bendi electric- or internal combustion (IC) engine-powered forklifts provide "the world's first 180-degree articulating mast front wheel steered design (for) unmatched manoeuvrability in narrow-aisle storage".

Six Bendi forklift models were added in October 1999. "Once again, customer acceptance and dealer enthusiasm soared," the company reports.
Landoll says its Drexel SwingMast electric- or IC-powered forklifts have "a 90-degree rotating and shifting mast that operates as a front or side loader", capable of stacking pallets or long loads in aisles as narrow as 56 in. (1.4 m).

"A Drexel EX front-loading truck is also designed to operate in flammable hazardous atmospheres," the company says.

In the summer of 1967 after more than three years together, Landoll's partner returned to work for the railroad, and Landoll became the sole owner of the business. In 1968, he created his first products in pursuing an idea about designing and manufacturing proprietary products.
The initial branded seasonal products were a slip-in livestock rack for pickup trucks and a chisel plough for use by local farmers.

Landoll believes in the benefits of diversification and generating opportunities by solving someone else's problem. That led to more farm equipment and equipment trailers in 1969 and an innovative travelling axle ground-loading trailer in 1970. Landoll was granted numerous patents for the design of this trailer, which is the backbone of the current Landoll Corp trailer line.

In 1975, the business was incorporated and changed the name to Landoll Corp.

By the early 1980s, the corporation's involvement in the towing industry dramatically increased. Towing and recovery companies had become primary Landoll customers for the model 317 trailer and "Centerfold" car carrier.

In 1983, FMC Corp contracted for Landoll to manufacture and assemble aircraft de-icers. Recognising the success of a military program for 391 de-icers, the US Small Business Administration named Landoll as the 1986 national small business prime contractor of the year for integrity, reliability, initiative and capability.

In the midst of the Gulf War, Landoll accepted a US Army order on 22 December 1990 and shipped 22 special tank transport trailers by 6 January 1991. Landoll Corp received the 1996 Pro Patria award for support of the National Guard and Reserve.

Landoll Corp pursued a total quality initiative beginning in 1996 and received International Organization for Standardization 9001 quality system certification in 1998, the same year in which Landoll was the Midwestern recipient of the Ernst & Young master entrepreneur of the year award.

Landoll Corp won the 2001 governor's exporter of the year award from the State of Kansas.

After purchasing the Service Center location in 2006, Landoll's transportation sales staff along with trailer and forklift service capabilities and refurbishment bays moved to the site.

By late 2007, Landoll completed a manufacturing upgrade that included robotic welders, a waterjet and other production machinery.

In July of 2007, the Landoll Corp was awarded a regional governor's award of excellence from the State of Kansas.

Landoll Corp purchased scraper and earthmover manufacturer ICON Industries Inc of Beloit, Kansas in October 2007 and agricultural implement maker Brillion Farm Equipment Inc of Brillion, Wisconsin in November 2010.

Among materials handling events, Landoll Corp plans to have a presence at the food industry truck driving championship of the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) on 23-25 September in Orlando, Florida; IFDA's distribution solutions conference on 24-26 October in Fort Worth, Texas; the presidents conference of the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association and the IFDA on 6-9 November in Phoenix, Arizona; and the Material Handling Industry of America's new Modex materials handling and logistics trade show on 6-9 February in Atlanta, Georgia.