Clark's Timeline of Extraordinary Innovation

CLARK Material Handling company continues to be among the industry's most trusted manufacturers for over a hundred years. Let's turn back the clock and see some of the innovative and ground-breaking technology introduced by CLARK over the years:

1917 The Beginning 

It all began in 1917, where the Tructractor, the first commercial truck in the world to be powered by internal combustion was built-in Buchanan, Michigan. Initially intended as a "shop buggy" in the CLARK warehouse for manufactured drills, wheels, and axles, visitors to the warehouse were intrigued and requested their own Tructractors. By 1918, eight Tructractors were constructed, and in 1919 over 75 were manufactured and sold. 

1920 Tructractor Being Delivered

The CLARK Tructractors versatility made it a hot commodity among citizens. Delivering and receiving the Tructractor was considered to be special and a memorable event. Pictured above is a customer in 1920 with his CLARK Tructractor and a CLARK employee standing on the truck describing where all the gears/levers and its use to its new owner.
 

1923 Duat Tow Tractor

The CLARK Duat Tow Tractor shows just what made the CLARK Duat so famous; even with its small size the machine had a drawbar pull rating of 1,500 pounds. The Duat was the first tow tractor that CLARK ever made, with an ability to pull trailer loads of lumber, freight, and industrial materials. Even with its popularity the Clarktor replaced the Duat in the coming years as it possessed even more power that the Duat.

1938 Clark Carloader 

The CLARK Carloader was the world's first modern short-coupled internal combustion forklift truck. From its introduction, the Carloader was mass-produced and it remained so until 1964. Due to its success and design, it was at one time being imitated by many other manufacturers. The image here shows the CLARK Carloader parked outside of the CLARK Equipment building in 1942.
 

1941-1945 Clark during the WWII

The widespread popularity and use of CLARK lift trucks especially by the Allied Forces during WWII made "CLARK" and "forklift" almost synonymous. CLARK had become the manufacturer of around 90% of the military required forklift trucks and tow tractors and the saying was that there was not an airfield under Allied control that did not have a CLARK forklift truck or tow tractor.

1951 Pallet Trucks 

The Hydrolift (internal combustion) and Electrolift (electric) pallet trucks are introduced and the Electrolift was a powered walkie-type hand truck at the time. Later branded the Powerworker as many may recognize now. It was available in pallet, platform, tug, and forklift stacker type trucks.

1964 ART-30

The ART-30 was designed by the CLARK Development Division and was the first lightweight-counterbalanced forklift capable of helicopter transport primarily designed for use by the U.S. Military. It was the perfect solution for their mobility issues because it was lightweight, maneuverable, and flexible in the types of applications it could handle. The forklift could be easily transported to places the military couldn't go before with about 3,000-pound capacity and the material made from aluminum alloy. The lightweight aluminum alloy material allowed the ART-30 to have some unique capabilities as it could climb 60% grades, traverse 30% slopes under full load, and travel at road speeds of up to 25 mph.

1967 TW15/20

The TW15/20 was the first electric three-wheel lift truck in the U.S. and became industry standard as it was used across multiple industries, including shipping, warehousing, and bottling. This image showcases the truck in a warehousing application. This maneuverable lift truck was able to pivot in a tight radius and was ideal for congested or narrow aisles.  

1972 Dual Voltage Electric Trucks

CLARK offers the industry's first dual voltage electric trucks. These trucks provided performance options based on the demands of the customer's application.

1976 C500-50

CLARK builds its 500,000th truck; a C500-50 internal combustion four-wheel forklift truck. Donated to Western Michigan University in 1977, where the truck was in service.

1983 Safety Seat 

The CLARK safety seat retrofit program is launched which offers pioneering operator restraint system free of charge to existing CLARK forklift truck customers along with distributing the patent for this safety innovation to all lift truck manufacturers, royalty-free.

2017 Clark 100 years

CLARK Material Handling Company witnessed 100 years of innovation and industry leadership in the design and manufacture of internal combustion and electric forklifts. Celebrating 100 years of innovation, CLARK had introduced the Ford 2.5L LPG 4-cylinder engine, a special "Centennial Edition" of lift trucks throughout 2017.
 
Today CLARK has one of the broadest product lines in the industry and continues its commitment with innovative product development and safety features worldwide. From new to used materials handling equipment, Brandt has a large inventory of CLARK forklifts to meet all your needs and requirements. Contact your local Brandt Material Handling dealership for more information today.