The Raymond Corporation has recognised 22 engineers for their contributions to 42 patents awarded since 2004 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The recognition event was held at the Raymond headquarters in Greene, N.Y., with keynote speaker Lance R. Collins, dean of engineering at Cornell University, speaking on the importance of innovative engineering. Brett Wood, CEO and president of Toyota Material Handling North America, and Raymond executives attended the event, which recognised the dedication and hard work of the people whose product developments and processes have received patents.

"One of the major sources of competitive advantage for any business is innovation," said Wood. "The Raymond engineers recognised here embrace the philosophy of continuous improvement, and their drive to innovate plays a large role in Raymond's success today."

Established more than 20 years ago, Raymond's Inventors Club currently consists of an honourary group of 36 members, which are composed of Raymond employees and retirees, all of whom have been awarded patents throughout the years. During the recognition event, 12 of the 22 engineers were newly inducted into the Inventors Club.