The IFOY’s premier class, the category for counterbalanced forklift trucks with a load capacity up to 3.5 tons, goes to STILL.

Best in class! Last night, on 4 June 2013, in the context of the international “Transport Logistics” trade fair in Munich, the STILL RX 70 Hybrid was honored with the International Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY) Award, which is being presented for the first time.

The Hybrid forklift drove to a sovereign test victory in the category for counterbalanced forklift trucks up to 3.5 tons, the “premier class in the competition”, as Prof. Dr. Michael ten Hompel from the Fraunhofer Institute stressed in his laudation speech. The jury assessed the nominated forklifts based on the factors of Innovation and Technology, Design, Ergonomics and Handling, Safety, Economy and Sustainability. For this purpose the nominated vehicles were required to undergo a week of extensive tests on the trade fair site in Hanover in March.

The decisive factors in choosing the RX 70 Hybrid, which is 95 percent fabricated from recyclable materials, were said to be its higher degree of innovation, which made it clearly superior compared to other combustion engine forklifts mainly with regard to operating costs, and on the subject of efficiency it performed up to 30% more economically than its rivals. A total package of economy, environmental friendliness and user friendliness, which convinced the jurors from eight countries. The international jury’s reasoning says: “As the first diesel forklift truck with energy recovery and electric power transmission, the RX 70 Hybrid sets standards in forklift truck development and takes the balance between ecology and economy into a new era. With the RX 70 Hybrid, STILL meets the requirement for economy and sustainability in an optimum way, and thus also satisfies the demand for energy-efficient machines. This innovation represents a considerable benefit to users.”

The IFOY Award was awarded for the first time this year and is under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. The award is presented by the Association for Materials Handling and Logistical Systems in the German Machinery and Plant Manufacturing Association (VDMA).

The non-profit organization presents awards to the year’s best industrial trucks and solutions in four categories. The aim is to document in this way both the achievement and the innovative power of the industrial truck sector, and also to contribute to improving the public’s image of the entire intralogistics industry. The winners are chosen by an independent jury consisting of internationally renowned specialist journalists from Europe’s leading logistics media.

STILL provides customized solutions for intralogistics worldwide implementing the intelligent management of material handling equipment, software and services. What the founder of the company Hans Still had initiated in 1920 with a great deal of creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and quality has quickly developed to be a globally renowned and strong brand. Today, over 7 000 qualified employees work in development, production, sales and service every day to meet the customer requirements around the world. The key to corporate success is a highly efficient product range scoping complete solutions especially designed for large and small companies in individual industries as well as computer-based software applications for logistics to provide effective warehouse and materials management.