It is impossible to imagine a modern industrial setting operating efficiently without a fleet of forklifts, which makes it rather surprising that the first prototype examples of this critical piece of plant machinery were sold largely as a result of desperation and serendipity.
From the end of the 19th century and the development of rudimentary powered hoists up until 1917, forklifts had been relatively limited in scope and rarely used.
However, with the First World War and the drafting of millions of soldiers causing shortages in factories and warehouses across the United States, the Clark Equipment Company was the first to take matters into its own hands.
The workers at the factory in Buchanan, Michigan, most notably Eugene Clark, took a three-wheeled tractor and added a flat bed to it, which allowed for heavy components such as axles and wheels to be moved throughout the factory without considerable manual effort.
This became the Tructractor, and initially was only intended for internal use, with the potential side benefit of showing off the ingenuity of Clark’s workers.
However, when other business leaders looking to buy parts from Clark saw the Tructractor, they were immediately impressed by it and asked for its price.
After some confusion, Clark started taking orders. Initially, just eight Trucktractors were sold, but by 1919, that number had increased to over 75.
Clark had inadvertently invented the future of industry, and they would eventually split the company in half, with one half dedicated to making Trucktractors whilst the other side maintained the company’s original name and focus on railway drills.
Whilst initially the market leader in forklifts to the point that they were for a few decades in the United States known as Clarks, this could not last, and innovative companies would start to make inroads in the market by the 1950s.
Despite this, it is fascinating that one of the world’s most successful and popular pieces of machinery was not originally meant to be sold.