Material handling equipment dealer Lift Inc has added skid-steer loaders and other devices to its offerings through the acquisition of the Bobcat of Lancaster LLC business in the borough of Ephrata, Pennsylvania. Terms were not disclosed.
Mountville-based Lift Inc says it acquired the business on 1 June from Valley Supply & Equipment Co Inc of Hagerstown, Maryland and intends to operate Bobcat as a division. Lift Inc has leased the 3.5-acre Bobcat site in Ephrata from owner Pre Properties.
Bobcat of Lancaster was established in 2003. In addition to skid-steer loaders, the Bobcat line includes compact tractors and excavators and telescoping forklifts.
The Bobcat business in Ephrata employs seven people and has annual sales of about USD3.2 million. Doosan Group's Infracore subsidiary acquired equipment manufacturer Bobcat Co of West Fargo, North Dakota in July 2005.
Lift Inc was founded in 1973 as a forklift parts distributor and began representing lines for original equipment manufacturers in 1976.
Lift Inc had sales of USD68 million for the fiscal year ended 30 September and, excluding Bobcat, employs 200 staff including 110 technicians. Regarding current prospects, "we are having a good year, but it is premature to estimate 2009 at this point", says Lift Inc management.
In 2008, Lift Inc moved its headquarters about three miles (5 km) to a 93,000 square foot (8,370 sqm) facility in Mountville from its previous location in Lancaster. Other Pennsylvania regional facilities of Lift Inc are located in Bernville, Mechanicsburg, Williamsport and, for used and aerial rental, Manheim.
In the central Pennsylvania market, Lift Inc is a forklift dealer for the Crown and Toyota brands and also represents the JLG, UpRight and Genie lines of aerial work platforms, self-propelled scissor lifts and boom equipment.
Don Herman, Kirk Sears and Mike Scornavacchi Jr acquired Lift Inc in 2004 from Mike Scornavacchi Sr and Robert Kirkpatrick. Subsequently, Mike Scornavacchi Jr sold his interest to Herman, who is president, and Sears, who is vice president.