Equipco's Cara Swanson (centre) with Hyster representatives (from left) Will Brinson, Lorri Lewis, Mark Koffarnus and Jill Comer

Phillips Corp's Bridgeville-based Equipco Division has marked its 70th year as a Hyster forklift dealership. Original owners Jack and Jim Phillips signed a dealership agreement in 1944 and became the first independent Hyster dealership in the US.

"From the beginning, our partnership with Hyster focused on building long-term professional relationships between our teams and maintaining open lines of communication," says Caa Swanson, Equipco president and dealer principal. "Even amid changes in the industry, this approach has enabled us to provide excellent products and customer service for 70 years, and we look forward to continuing to do so for another 70 years."

The dealership has 100 employees with an average tenure of 13 years.

Hyster Co treated several dozen Equipco employees to a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game to commemorate the anniversary. In addition, Equipco held a golf tournament for customers and company partners on 10 September.

"We are honoured to call Equipco one of our dealers and to celebrate this milestone with them," says Bob Sattler, Hyster vice president of dealer development. Hyster of Greenville, North Carolina is a unit of publicly traded Hyster-Yale Materials Handling Inc of Mayfield Heights, Ohio.

In addition to its Bridgeville headquarters near Pittsburgh, Equipco has branch offices in Cochranton near Meadville, Altoona and Lock Haven in Pennsylvania. A south-eastern Ohio branch is in Belpre.

Hyster recognised Equipco as a dealer of distinction in 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.

In addition to the Hyster brand, Equipco represents Sellick, Bendi, Drexel and V Mariotti forklifts, Trackmobile mobile rail car movers, Sidelifts Inc side loading handling systems, Presto Lifts stackers, JLG aerial work platforms and Tornado sweepers and scrubbers.