Philip Pretto

LiuGong North America has added EFR Corporation, located in Somerset, New Jersey, to its materials handling dealer group.

Electric Forklift Repair was incorporated in 1987 as a one-man shop, and the company grew to sell and rent a full range of materials handling equipment. Co-owners Raul and Mavi Pretto and their team provide sales and service in New Jersey as well as New York City.

Raul Pretto first noticed LiuGong at the 2016 Promat conference. He says that he and his son, Philip, were walking the exhibit floor when the design and shape, or "kerb appeal", of the LiuGong forklifts first caught their attention. After some discussion, they found that LiuGong equipment could match any of the top-line global brands, and at a lower total cost of ownership.

"We are very happy with the partner type of relationship and the solid backing we have from LiuGong NA. Their service department is very responsive, and when a problem does arise, they are right on top of it," he says.

Philip Pretto, operations manager at EFR, says: "Besides forklifts, our customers really like the LiuGong electric pallet jacks. They've been a big seller for us already. Our clients say they have great manoeuvrability, and they also like the key fob on/off feature and how long the lithium-ion battery lasts.

"Forklifts are our bread and butter, but, in time, we plan to carry the full line of materials handling equipment from LiuGong," he adds.