Clark Equipment Company history

In 1919 a division called Clark Tructractor Company was formed.

In 1927 all of the features were combined to create the lift truck.

In 1928 Clark achieved sales of nearly $12 million and net revenue of ten percent.

Clark reported its first operating losses in more than 20 years in 1931.

Clark developed the Auto-Tram prototype, a fast, aluminum rail car, for the 1934 World's Fair.

By 1943 sales were $77 million, up from $12.5 million four years earlier.

However, because of wartime production demands for Carloader and Clarktors, they were not put into full production until 1945.

Clark Equipment was established in 1948 as a manufacturing licensee of Clark Equipment Company of the United States.

By 1952, the licensee was re-named Ruhr Intrans Hubstapler and located in Mulheim when it started shipping Clark fork lift trucks into the European market.

In 1953 Clark acquired Ross Carrier Company, a local manufacturer of large lift trucks, straddle carriers, and cable cranes.

In 1954, Clark Equipment opened a plant in Valinhos, Brazil, to produce gears and truck transmissions for the South American Market.

By 1958, Michigan brand sales were $50 million.

In 1959 Clark acquired Brown Truck Trailer, through which it entered the highway trailer business.

Like the Carloader and Utilitruc models, the Clipper was manufactured until 1964.

Further notable acquisitions included Hancock Manufacturing Company from Lubbock, Texas, in 1966, which manufactured scraper bowls.

Also in 1969 Clark acquired the Melroe line of skid-steer loaders and agricultural products.

In 1982 the company sold its wheel loader and dozer division to Volvo.

Also in 1990, management purchased a controlling interest in Hurth Axle S.p.A., an Italian manufacturer and distributor of off-highway axles.

At the end of 1992, Clark owned 91.6 percent of Hurth's stock.

The Brazilian plant still was leader for mechanical transmissions until 1995 when was sold to Eaton Corporation.

Clark fork lifts in the C500 line ranged from 2000 pound capacity models for warehousing use to large 80,000 pound capacity models for steel fabrication.

In 2007, Ingersoll Rand sold Clark Equipment Company to Doosan International of South Korea.

Along with the introduction of the new Ford 2.5L LPG 4-cylinder engine, a special “Centennial Edition” custom paint and decal package was standard on all C20/C35 lift trucks throughout 2017, commemorating 100 years.

2018 CLARK opens new Research and Development center including test laboratory and prototype build shop.