Alliance will boost the Big Joe brand of forklifts.

Big Lift LLC and E-P Equipment USA have entered into a strategic partnership to exclusively distribute the Big Joe brand of forklifts throughout North America. In a statement, the companies say Big Lift LLC and E-P Equipment USA will consolidate sales and marketing efforts, align dealer networks and launch a new line of equipment.

The first new Big Joe product to be launched, the WPT45 AC powered pallet truck, will be introduced on May 3rd at the MHEDA (Material Handling Equipment Dealers of America) Convention in Marco Island, Florida. Later this year, an additional six models will also be launched, with a wide variety of class 1, 2 and 3 industrial trucks to follow.

In a joint statement sent to staff, Dan Rosskamm, president of Big Lift LLC, and Daryl Kidd, general manager of E-P Equipment USA, say the new partnership is "a great opportunity for both companies to build on the strong reputation of Big Joe and set a foundation for sustained growth together".

Headquartered in Illinois and with a factory in Wisconsin, Big Lift LLC manufactures and distributes the Big Joe brand of electric-powered forklifts through a network of over 200 dealers. Big Joe forklifts have been a mainstay in factories and warehouses across the United States since 1950.

Headquartered in South Carolina, E-P Equipment USA is a subsidiary of E-P Equipment Co. LTD which manufactures and distributes a broad selection of materials handling equipment and forklifts internationally. E-P Equipment Co. LTD recently completed construction of a new state-of-the-art production facility in Hangzhou, China capable of manufacturing up to 10,000 electric forklifts annually.