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Big Joe Forklifts Logo

About Big Joe Forklifts

Big Joe Forklifts, established in 1951, is a North American leader in material handling solutions with a mission to empower the people who move things and a vision to be the trusted partner delivering disruptive solutions that accelerate the industry's transformation from internal combustion to electric to fully autonomous.

Our tagline, Powering Progress, reflects our commitment to innovation and partnership as we deliver lithium-ion forklifts, advanced material-handling equipment, and autonomous solutions through our nationwide dealer network. 

Empowering the People Who Move Things

At Big Joe, our mission is simple yet powerful: Empowering the people who move things. For decades, we’ve focused on creating solutions that make material handling safer, easier, and more productive for the people who keep the world moving. Every innovation we deliver is designed with operators, dealers, and businesses in mind—because when they succeed, we succeed. 

Our Vision for the Future

We’re not just adapting to change; we’re driving it. Big Joe’s vision is to be the trusted partner delivering disruptive solutions that accelerate the industry’s transformation from internal combustion to electric to fully autonomous. This means leading the charge toward sustainability and automation with bold, practical innovations that redefine what’s possible in material handling. 

Why Big Joe?

Human-Centric Innovation
Every product is engineered to support the people behind the machines. 
Leadership In Transformation
We’re pioneering electric and autonomous technologies that set new standards. 
Trust &
Partnership

Our relationships with dealers, customers, and partners are built on transparency and performance. 

From our first lift truck to today’s cutting-edge solutions, Big Joe has always stood for reliability, innovation, and partnership. Together, we’re shaping the future of material handling—one empowered operator at a time. 

Membership Organizations

Big Joe Forklifts takes pride in being a member of prestigious organizations that are advancing the material handling industry.

Company History

Since 1951, Big Joe Forklifts has focused on solving real material handling challenges with practical, dependable equipment. Explore the milestones that shaped our growth from a retail lifting solution into a trusted North American provider of lithium-ion electric forklifts and autonomous material handling solutions.

1951

Big Joe Forklifts Founded

  • The Kiefus and Levine families founded Big Joe Manufacturing in Chicago, with the first manufacturing facility established in Wisconsin Dells, WI.

     

  • Big Joe introduces the In Between Handling (IBH) manual straddle stacker model to the market.

  • The IBH remains a highly sought-after solution and is still manufactured at Big Joe’s Wisconsin Dells facility.

     

  • Don Koehler, the undisputed world’s tallest man at 8 ft 2 in, starts work at Big Joe as a field salesman. Don worked as a top-selling salesman at Big Joe for 25 years, retiring three years before his death. He considered his size an advantage, as potential customers often wanted to meet him out of curiosity and always remembered him. 

1960s-1970s

Growth Through Innovation

  • Jerry Kiefus (son of co-founder) becomes President and Head of Sales (30-year tenure).

  • Big Joe moves production to Wisconsin Dells and begins the company’s first vertical integration for production.

  • Big Joe was always about finding unique solutions for customer applications, not just following other manufacturers. The IBH was the first example of this. The PDI was another great example.

  • Big Joe launched its first power drive vehicles with the PPT pallet truck line in the late 1960’s.

  • Jay Levine (son of co-founder) ran aftermarket support for decades from the late 1960s through the 1980s.

  • Also in the 1970’s, Tom Montemurro developed the Big Joe logo that is still in use today.

  • Big Joe launched power travel stackers in the 1970s to huge success, specifically launching the PDC and PDH models.

1980s-1990s

Expansion through Growth in Retail Stores

  • In the early 1980’s, Big Joe launched the “game changer” PDI model, which was unique in the market as the most compact powered stacker.

    • Lee Whitaker, the long-time engineering leader and product visionary, developed the PDI.

    • This product was a perfect fit for “chain stores” such as Best Buy and others that were rapidly expanding across the USA at the time.

    • Best Buy purchased 5,000+ units over the years.

  • Other anchor accounts, such as Trader Joe's and Menards, were loyal Big Joe customers, thereby elevating Big Joe's geographic reach and brand recognition during this time frame.

  • Later in the 1980’s, Big Joe launched its walkie reach truck, the PDR, and subsequently ordered pickers, SSC/SSCM.

  • Big Joe expanded to Australia in the 1980s with great success.

  • Big Joe builds a reputation for durable, operator-focused warehouse equipment.

  • Expands into a full line of walkie stackers and electric pallet trucks.

  • Maintains a strong U.S. dealer network with deep Midwest roots.

2007

EP Equipment Established

  • EP Equipment is established in Hangzhou, China, and officially enters the market as an electric material-handling manufacturer with a global outlook.

  • Focuses on efficient production and innovation in electric forklifts.

  • All four founders still work for EP, including John He, President, and Sang Tian, Sr. VP/COO.

2009

EP Equipment establishes Big Lift LLC and Acquires the Big Joe Brand

  • Following industry disruption during the recession, EP Equipment established Big Lift LLC in Chicago, IL, to acquire and grow the Big Joe presence in North America.

  • Big Joe begins strategic transformation from a price leader to customer-focused innovation disrupter.

2010s

Strategic Shift & Product Rebirth

  • Big Joe greatly expands its portfolio of warehouse solutions for the North American market.

  • Big Joe launches the E30 Electric Pallet Truck, revolutionizing entry-level powered material handling and creating a new ITA Class 3.1 classification.

  • EP Equipment expands rapidly in global markets with lithium-ion R&D and vertical battery integration.

  • In 2013, Big Joe introduces the Joey, a new industrial vehicle designed to address a wide variety of tasks where a stock ladder may commonly be used

2016-2019

Lithium Leadership & Innovation

  • EP Equipment begins expanding lithium capabilities to cover Class 1 sit-down counterbalance forklifts.

  • In 2017, EP commercially launches the industry’s first purpose-built, integrated lithium sit-down counterbalance forklift.

  • EP Equipment becomes a global leader in lithium-powered lift trucks and vertically integrated batteries.

2020

Rise of Class 1 Integrated Lithium Forklifts

  • Big Joe launches integrated lithium Class 1 sit-down counterbalance forklifts into North America and officially sets forth to become the global leader in internal combustion (IC) to electric (E) conversions.

  • EP Equipment’s battery tech and single-phase charging make fleet electrification easier and more accessible.

2022-2023

Big Joe launches Autonomous Division

  • Big Joe Forklifts officially announced the creation of its Autonomous Division, recognizing that robotics would play an increasingly important role across the supply chain as warehouses and manufacturers faced ongoing labor shortages.

  • Big Joe’s approach to automation is unique in the market, with a clear focus on entry-level automation that is inexpensive, easy to deploy, and simply works

  • Big Joe unveiled the Pallet Mover AMR on the opening day of ProMat 2023 in Chicago - its first commercial autonomous offering

  • The Pallet Mover introduced a first-of-its-kind "user-directed" automation category to the material handling industry - a collaborative human-and-machine model that treated autonomous technology as a productivity force multiplier, not a replacement for workers.

  • Pre-release testing across 11 customer sites concluded in March 2023 with strong results, validating the user-directed approach in real manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution environments.

  • Early adopters praised its simplicity, versatility, and ability to eliminate repetitive transport tasks, which freed workers to focus on higher-value activities

2024

Big Joe Ships 250,000+ Class 3 Units Globally

  • Big Joe opens a new North American Headquarters in DeForest, WI, near Madison.

  • Big Joe becomes the world’s largest single manufacturer of Class 3 equipment.

     

  • EP and Big Joe lead the industry in lithium-ion adoption and vertically integrated power systems.

  • The industry recognizes a new equipment category, Class 3.1, inspired in part by Big Joe’s innovation.

  • EP Equipment becomes a publicly traded company, ticker – 603194.SS

2025

Setting the Stage for Growth

  • Big Joe restructures organization with new Sales & Marketing leadership and a focus on strengthening both the Big Joe brand and its distribution channel.

  • Big Joe announces “Powering Progress” as its tagline at ProMat 2025, showcasing its strength in Class 1 Integrated Lithium forklifts.

2026

75 Years of Big Joe Forklifts

  • Celebrating seven and a half decades of moving America forward.

  • Big Joe and EP continue leading the lithium revolution together, reshaping how warehouses operate.

  • Our 75th anniversary will focus on how our history has established our launch pad for the next 75 years.