KION North America has announced the release of five new Linde and Baoli forklifts during a press conference at the ProMat show in Chicago-the largest expo for manufacturing and supply chain professionals in North America.

“It’s a historic time for KION North America,” said Vincent Halma, president and CEO. “This is the largest new product introduction in both our company and material handling industry history.”   The Linde Series 1347 is an electric, cushion tire truck powered by either a 36V or 48V battery. The Linde Series 1219  and 1319 are two internal combustion, counterbalanced torque converter trucks. Powered by a Ford 2.5L fuel-injected engine, the 1219 is suited for outdoor applications whereas the 1319 is suited for indoor use. All three trucks feature load capacities ranging from 5,000 to 6,500 lbs. The Baoli KBD Series features a Kohler Tier 4 Final diesel engine and load capacities up to 7,000 lbs.   Prior to the show, KION NA also introduced the Linde Series 1279–an electric Class I truck with pneumatic tires with a load capacity of 13,000 to 17,500 lbs. Two additional Baoli models and a Linde Class I stand-on electric will be added to the company’s product line later this year.   “It’s important to note that all of these trucks were developed specifically with the needs of the North American market in mind,” said Halma. “They are the same high-quality forklifts that our customers have come to rely on, but at a price point we’ve never been able to deliver before.”   KION North America is not only filling out their product portfolio, but also its service offerings. From now through year end, they will introduce a retail financing program, Linde’s fleet management system-Connected Solutions, and a line of Lithium-ion powered products.   Additionally, with the completion of the Dematic acquisition by the KION Group last year, “we can meet our customers’ needs with one of our strong brands, or a combination of them working together to create an integrated system,” said Gordon Riske, CEO of the KION Group. “This is just the beginning. Innovation is at the core of KION, and we are always focused on developing the solutions our customers need to make their supply chain more effective.