Forklift dealer Watts Equipment Co Inc is continuing its record of community awareness through the donation of two electric Toyota forklifts to the Salvation Army.

Marolyn and Brock Watts own the dealership and "believe in giving back to the community" quietly, says Shirley Perreira, the firm's general manager and vice president.

"Both (forklifts) included a charger, and one had a scale," she notes. "One was brand new, and the other was more than five years old." Each forklift has a lifting capacity of 5,000 lb (2,250 kg).

"The total value is about USD60,000," Perreira says. "We are also taking care of the maintenance."

The Salvation Army in Lodi, California uses one of the forklifts in its warehouse and the other in its shelter facility. Existing forklift equipment in the Lodi locations will move to another Salvation Army operation in Oakland, California.

The cafeteria at the Lodi Salvation Army serves more than 200 meals daily and more than 400 on holidays, in part utilising the capability of an industrial kitchen and services from a culinary training school. The facility offers overnight accommodation if space is available, showers, laundry services and, as needed, extended stay programs.

Annually, Watts Equipment makes a charitable donation on the basis of community needs. The 2007 donation, for instance, involved 10 pallet jacks to different food banks and two pallet jacks to the local Red Cross.

The dealership employs around 45 staff, occupies about 15,000 sqft (1,350 sqm) in its Manteca facility and has a geographic service area including Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Tuolumne and Calaveras counties. "Watts Equipment is a family business, with a family way of thinking," Perreira says.

Watts Equipment was established in 1967 and began representing the Toyota brand in 1971 and the Crown brand in 1984. The company also represents eTec Minit Chargers and IPC Eagle power scrubbers.

The charitable international Salvation Army, an evangelical Christian church, was founded in 1865, has its international headquarters in London and accepted the donation in June.