A name familiar with many in the supply chain is to change with the news that the Linde Material Handling North America Corporation is to become the Kion North America Corporation, effective on or about Jan. 1, 2015. Kion is the holding company for several well-known brands of fork lift trucks including Still, Baoli and of course Linde.

The company recently hosted a commemorative ribbon cutting ceremony at its North American headquarters located in Summerville, South Carolina. Executives said the ribbon cutting gave the company an opportunity to pause and reflect on its history and to mark a new beginning for Kion North America. Guests included members of the Linde, Still and Kion boards along with several representatives from the Kion Group. Brian Butler, US President and CEO, commented:

"We will even further strengthen our Linde Brand with additional product offerings while at the same time grow the Still Brand through future developments. As we align ourselves with the global development and manufacturing strategy of the Kion Group, Kion North America will become a significant contributor to the development and manufacturing of products specifically for the North American market."

Kion claims to be the European market leader and the world's second largest manufacturer of forklifts and warehouse technology and the North American headquarters is currently expanding operations and aligning its development and manufacturing strategy with the global organisation. Gordon Riske, CEO of the Kion Group, said:

"The continued development and growth of our organisation in North America is extremely important for the Kion Group. It is one of the key elements of our Strategy 2020, which we are pursuing with the aim of significantly extending our global reach. We want to move away from being a niche provider and become a significant market player in North America under the Kion name."