KION North America

What KION North America does

KION North America operates as the U.S. subsidiary of Germany-based KION Group (publicly listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under ticker FDX) and conducts business primarily under the Linde Material Handling brand. The company manufactures and distributes a comprehensive portfolio of material handling equipment, organized into four functional categories: Multi-Utility Equipment (electric counterbalance forklifts, internal combustion forklifts, heavy forklifts), Transportation Equipment (pallet trucks, tow tractors), Storage Equipment (reach trucks, turret trucks, pallet stackers), and Order Picking Equipment (order pickers). The company serves three primary industrial verticals — Food & Beverage, Manufacturing, and Natural Resources & Materials — and is headquartered in Summerville, SC, with a workforce of 101-250 employees.

Layered on top of the core hardware catalog, KION North America sells four technology add-on modules: myLinde (fleet telemetry and operational data analytics), Guardian (operator awareness and safety technology), Automation solutions (to reduce manual intervention), and Energy Solutions centered on Li-ION lithium-ion battery technology. The company actively promotes Li-ION adoption via the 'Batteries Included' promotional campaign running through June 30. Customer evidence includes a public case study with PC Lumber in the lumber and building materials segment.

KION North America monetizes through a combination of one-time hardware sales (electric forklifts, IC forklifts, heavy forklifts, pallet trucks, tow tractors, reach trucks, turret trucks, pallet stackers, order pickers) and recurring service revenue streams including parts, maintenance contracts, and technical training. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market combines a nationwide authorized dealer network providing local sales and service coverage with a direct enterprise field sales team, supplemented by an inside-sales web quote-request channel. The business benefits from the operational backing, supply-chain partnerships, and brand equity of the global KION Group organization.

Name

KION North America

Legal name

Linde Material Handling

Website

https://kion-na.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

KION North America (dba Linde Material Handling) manufactures forklifts and material handling equipment for Food & Beverage, Manufacturing, and Natural Resources verticals in the United States. It sells hardware plus telemetry, automation, safety, and Li-ION energy solutions through a nationwide dealer network and direct enterprise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Material Handling Equipment

NAICS

Industrial Truck, Tractor, Trailer, and Stacker Machinery Manufacturing (333924), Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (3331)

SIC

Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Forklifts & Industrial Trucks (IC & Electric) (IMAHABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Material Handling & Industrial Lift Vehicle Manufacturing (Forklifts/Telehandlers/Reach Stackers) (IMACAFAD)

Keywords

• Industrial forklifts
• Material handling equipment
• Warehouse automation
• Fleet management
• Lithium-ion batteries

Headquarters

HQ city

Summerville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Material Handling Equipment Sales: Sale of electric forklifts, internal combustion forklifts, heavy forklifts, pallet trucks, tow tractors, reach trucks, turret trucks, pallet stackers, and order pickers. One-time hardware purchases with potential for service contracts.
2. Service & Parts: Service maintenance and replacement parts for material handling equipment throughout product lifecycle. Ongoing revenue from service partnerships to sustain systems.
3. Training Services: Technical training services for operators and technicians on material handling equipment.
4. Energy Solutions: Lithium-ion battery and energy solutions for material handling equipment with promotional campaigns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

KION North America manufactures and distributes industrial material handling equipment under the Linde Material Handling brand, including electric forklifts, internal combustion forklifts, heavy forklifts, pallet trucks, tow tractors, reach trucks, turret trucks, pallet stackers, and order pickers. The company also offers integrated technology solutions (fleet telemetry, operator awareness, automation, Li-ION energy) and lifecycle service, parts, and training to enterprise customers across the United States.

Product overview

Linde Material Handling operates as a North American division of KION Group, offering a comprehensive portfolio of material handling equipment organized into three product categories: Multi-Utility Equipment (Electric Forklifts, Internal Combustion Forklifts, Heavy Forklifts), Transportation Equipment (Pallet Trucks, Tow Tractors), Storage Equipment (Reach Trucks, Turret Trucks, Pallet Stackers), and Order Picking Equipment (Order Pickers). The product line is complemented by technology add-on modules including myLinde (telemetry/fleet management), Guardian (operator awareness/safety technology), Automation solutions, and Energy Solutions featuring Li-ION battery technology. The company serves industries including Food & Beverage, Manufacturing, and Natural Resources & Materials through a nationwide dealer network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Forklifts Electric counterbalance forklifts designed for multi-utility applications in facilities, offering zero-emission operation for indoor environments.
• Internal Combustion Forklifts Internal combustion counterbalance forklifts for heavy-duty applications in outdoor and rugged environments.
• Heavy Forklifts Heavy-duty forklifts designed for lifting and moving large, heavy loads in industrial and warehouse settings.
• Pallet Trucks Electric pallet trucks for horizontal transport of palletized goods over short to medium distances.
• Tow Tractors Tow tractors designed for moving multiple trailers or heavy carts in manufacturing and logistics facilities.
• Reach Trucks Reach trucks for high-level order picking and storage in narrow aisle warehouse environments.
• Turret Trucks Turret trucks (also known as swing-reach or trilateral trucks) for efficient case pick and pallet handling in narrow aisles.
• Pallet Stackers Pallet stackers for stacking and unstacking palletized loads at low to mid-level heights.
• Order Pickers Order picking equipment for ground-level and mid-level order selection in warehouse operations.
• Service & Parts Service maintenance and replacement parts for material handling equipment throughout product lifecycle, providing ongoing support to sustain systems via dealer partnerships.
• Training Technical training services for operators and technicians on material handling equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Eliminate inefficiency across all facilities through myLinde telemetry

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Industry Leaders in Supply-Chain SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose partnerships with industry leaders in supply-chain solutions to provide cutting-edge solutions for operations. These strategic partnerships enhance the company's ability to outfit operations with comprehensive supply-chain solutions beyond just equipment.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Crown Equipment Corporation: Privately held US lift truck manufacturer specializing in electric forklifts, reach trucks, turret trucks, order pickers, and warehouse automation, with a strong direct-to-customer dealer model that competes head-on with Linde's storage and order-picking lines.
• Raymond Corporation: Toyota-owned US lift truck specialist focused on electric counterbalance, reach trucks, turret trucks, order pickers, and iWAREHOUSE fleet management; competes with Linde's storage equipment and myLinde telemetry offerings.
• Jungheinrich: German intralogistics peer and fellow European specialist selling electric forklifts, reach trucks, order pickers, and warehouse automation in North America. Comparable product breadth, technology positioning, and customer verticals to KION NA.
• Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas: North American arm of Mitsubishi Logisnext, distributing Cat, Mitsubishi, and UniCarriers branded forklifts through an established dealer network; competes across the same industrial truck categories and customer verticals as KION NA.
• Toyota Material Handling: The largest North American forklift OEM, selling electric and IC forklifts, reach trucks, pallet jacks, and order pickers through an extensive dealer network. Directly competes with KION NA / Linde across virtually every product category and customer segment.
• Hyster-Yale Materials Handling: US-listed (HY) competitor offering Hyster heavy-duty and Yale warehouse equipment brands with comparable IC and electric lift trucks, dealer networks, and warehouse automation offerings, overlapping KION NA in food, beverage, manufacturing, and logistics.
• Doosan Bobcat (Bobcat Industrial Vehicle): Doosan's industrial vehicle division sells Bobcat- and Doosan-branded forklifts, reach trucks, and pallet trucks into North American industrial, warehousing, and natural-resources customers overlapping KION NA's core verticals.

Emerging players

• Swisslog (KUKA): Intralogistics automation specialist (within KUKA, ultimately part of Midea) selling ASRS, conveyors, robotics, and warehouse software; competes with KION NA's automation solutions in the same modern-warehouse bid pipeline.
• Hangcha Forklift: Chinese forklift manufacturer expanding in North America with a broad IC and electric product line at competitive pricing; not as differentiated on automation or service but a credible value-tier alternative to Linde.

Others

• STILL (KION sister brand): Sister-brand of KION serving warehouse equipment, forklifts, and intralogistics in North America; a related-party comparator that illustrates how KION NA's product and go-to-market overlap with sibling operating units within the parent group.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kion_na
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@kionnorthamerica6817
• Facebookfacebook.com/kionnorthamerica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kion-north-america
• Instagraminstagram.com/kionnorthamerica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KION North America