Crown Lift Truck Gets IDEA Award

NEW BREMEN, Ohio—Crown Equipment Corp. has received its ninth Gold International Design Excellence Award (IDEA) from the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA).

Crown’s RC 5500 series stand-up counterbalanced lift truck was selected from more than 1,500 entries to win one of 37 gold IDEA awards for 2008.

IDEA awards are given for innovation, design and business implications, as well as environmental sustainability. RC 5500 Series has several components that easily separate for reuse or recycling including the steel, plastics, hydraulic fluids and lead-acid batteries, according to Crown.

IDSA jurors took note of Crown’s efforts. “The RC 5500 shows Crown's dedicated commitment to building lift trucks with the user in the center of the development process,” says Sudhir Bhatia, a partner of Mosaic, one of the world’s leading producers and marketers of concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients.

“There isn’t a detail overlooked,” adds another juror. “From operator comfort to environmental considerations, Crown’s commitment to excellent design continues to define industry standards.”