Clark Material Handling Co is adding an assembly line for electric-powered industrial equipment within its current Lexington facility and anticipates hiring 20 more production and support employees. Preparations for the project are under way.

The expansion for production of burden carriers and golf car products follows Clark's 3 October acquisition of EverGreen Electric Vehicles LLC (Forkliftaction.com News #587).

EverGreen has handled assembly and production at a Compton, California facility. Clark aims to continue making the products in the US.

"We believe this transition to Lexington will significantly improve our ability to oversee and support the daily production requirements of these products," says Chuck Moratz, vice president and chief operations officer overseeing daily operations of Clark in North America. "This should, in turn, have a positive impact on our dealers and end-users as it relates to design, production, quality and on-time deliveries."

"(Relocating) all manufacturing to Lexington is good news for our employees and the Lexington community", Moratz notes. "Additionally, our state-of-the-art aftermarket parts distribution centre in Louisville (Kentucky) will be taking on warehousing and distribution of all service parts for these vehicles."

The project is another North American investment for Clark. Clark opened a production facility in San Luis Potosí, Mexico in January 2012 (Forkliftaction.com News #539).

Clark intends to maintain a sales team in Grand Junction, Colorado where the EverGreen organisation had an office.

Regarding the expansion, "this incremental production line will have no impact on our lift truck operations", says Scott Johnson, Clark vice president of business development. "We anticipate continued growth in our materials handling products."

In addition to the burden carriers and golf car products, Clark supplies lines of electric and internal combustion forklifts, manual pallet jacks, powered pallet jacks and narrow-aisle forklifts.