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Walmart order boosts Crown’s lift truck research

The company’s fuel cell technology is growing in popularity, officials say.

By John Nolan, Staff Writer 9:39 AM Thursday, September 2, 2010

HUBER HEIGHTS — Walmart’s purchase of about 70 fuel cell-powered lift trucks from Crown Equipment Corp. is a notable vote of confidence in development of the vehicles, said officials of Crown and the state, which have teamed to fund the development.

Years of testing and adapting Crown’s lift trucks, traditionally powered by lead-acid batteries, for operation on fuel cell power is drawing increased interest from the company’s customers.

Crown’s sales of fuel cell-powered lift trucks still amount to less than 1 percent of total sales, but more than 300 of the redesigned trucks have been sold in recent years, said Eric Jensen, manager of new technology research and development.

Walmart, a dominant retailer whose actions are closely watched by competitors, has placed several orders for the new Crown trucks. Among those were the latest one that included six different types of lift trucks for a Walmart distribution center opening this month near Calgary, Canada.

“We’re seeing the sales go up,” Jensen said in an interview Wednesday at Crown’s 25,000-square-foot testing facility in Huber Heights. “The numbers are basically doubling and tripling every year.”

Ohio’s technology-promoting Third Frontier program has provided almost $2 million in funding through two grants for Crown, one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of lift trucks. The state’s support supplemented the New Bremen-based company’s $2 million investment.

The grants require Crown, a privately owned company with 7,200 employees and $1.6 billion in annual revenues, to create about 140 jobs by the end of 2016.

Crown’s next thrust will be on developing lift trucks specifically designed for use with fuel cells, rather than current vehicles that can run on either batteries or fuel cells, Jensen said.

The Ohio Department of Development, which oversees the Third Frontier program, hailed Walmart’s order.

“This is terrific news for Crown Equipment and we’re thrilled for them,” department officials said. “Walmart is a leading early adopter of fuel cell lift trucks and is helping to pave the way for wide acceptance of the technology.”

Fuel cells combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, with water and heat as byproducts. The cells can be refilled with hydrogen fuel more quickly than traditional batteries, which must be changed out and recharged.

Crown sells forklifts, pallet trucks and similar vehicles to customers worldwide in dry goods, groceries and manufacturing.

Contact this reporter  at (937) 225-2242 or  jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.