Clark Material Handling Company
Encyclopedia
Clark Material Handling Company (or CMHC) is a manufacturer of forklift truck
s based in Lexington, Kentucky
. The company has a production plant in Changwon
, South Korea
. Clark currently (2006) offers some 20 different models. According to the company, there are some 350,000 Clark forklift trucks currently in operation around the world. Clark is credited with having invented the world's first truck with a hydraulic lifting mechanism in 1920, the Truclift, the forerunner to modern forklift trucks.
The company started as a manufacturer of transmissions
and axle
s for the automobile industry. Since 2003, Clark has been owned by the Young An Hat Company of Korea.
Forklift truck
A forklift is a powered industrial truck used to lift and transport materials. The modern forklift was developed in the 1920s by various companies including the transmission manufacturing company Clark and the hoist company Yale & Towne Manufacturing...
s based in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. The company has a production plant in Changwon
Changwon
Changwon is a city in and the capital of Gyeongsangnam-do in South Korea. Changwon city is 8th most populous city in South Korea, with a 2010 established population of 1,089,039. It encompasses a land area of on southeastern of South Korea. The population of Southeastern part of Korea, that...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Clark currently (2006) offers some 20 different models. According to the company, there are some 350,000 Clark forklift trucks currently in operation around the world. Clark is credited with having invented the world's first truck with a hydraulic lifting mechanism in 1920, the Truclift, the forerunner to modern forklift trucks.
The company started as a manufacturer of transmissions
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
and axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
s for the automobile industry. Since 2003, Clark has been owned by the Young An Hat Company of Korea.
Company facts
- Clark Material Handling Company began as a division of Clark Equipment CompanyClark Equipment CompanyClark Equipment Company was a designer, manufacturer, and seller of industrial and construction machinery and equipment.-History:Clark's predecessor was the George R...
in 1919. - In 1953 the factory in Mülheim an der Ruhr was opened.
- In 1997 Clark built its 1,000,000 (millionth) forklift.