Crown's award winner

Crown Equipment Corp's RC5500 Series stand-up counterbalanced forklift has won the Chicago Athenaeum - Museum of Architecture & Design's international good design award.

The forklift, nicknamed Crown's "most versatile performer", joins seven other Crown industrial vehicles that have won the award over the past 10 years.

The museum presents the annual award to designers and manufacturers for advancing new, visionary and innovative product concepts, invention and originality.

Mike Gallagher, Crown's design centre vice president, says he is glad the forklift is not only functional but acknowledged as well designed.

"Our team really worked smart to create innovation above and beyond our customers' expectations. We extensively studied and analysed the behaviour of operators, including how they got on and off the forklift and manoeuvred around the warehouse managing loads," he says.

Crown claims the RC5500 Series forklift's FlexRide suspension reduces shock and vibration up to three times more than other stand-up counterbalanced forklifts, "providing a ride comparable to a high-quality automobile".

Designers considered the shape of the forklift's power unit and placement of the pillars, mast and overhead guard to maximise visibility, according to a Crown statement.

Crown vehicles that have received the accolade are the Wave Assist Work Vehicle (1998), the RR 5000 and RR 5000S rider reach truck (1999), the SC 4000 counterbalanced forklift (2000), the FC 4000 counterbalanced sit-down rider (2002), the SX 3000 stacker (2004) and the TSP 6000 turret stock picker (2006).

Crown has recognised 14 branches and dealers in its annual summit awards program. Crown Lift Trucks, of Long Beach, California, and AJ Jersey Inc, of South Plainfield, New Jersey, were named top Crown branch and dealer respectively for 2007. Both earned the James F Dicke Pioneer Award. The winners were honoured at a ceremony last month at the LaPlaya Beach and Golf Resort in Naples, Florida.