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1853: |
Jacob Rauch, a young German immigrant, opened a
horseshoeing and wagon repair shop on Columbus Road in
Cleveland, Ohio.
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| 1860: |
Rauch was producing custom coaches and wagons,
dominating the Ohio market.
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| 1884: |
Charles Lang bought into the business. The company
was named Rauch and Lang Carriage Company and moved to West
25th and McLean Street, in Cleveland, a four story
factory.
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1893: |
Walter C. Baker, a young student at the Case School
of Applied Science, built the Electrobat Automobile for the
World Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the first time an
automobile had been publicly demonstrated.
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| 1898: |
Walter Baker organized the Baker Motor Vehicle
Company and displayed the first shaft-driven auto at the first
automobile show in Madison Square Garden. Thomas A. Edison
bought the first electric car from Walter Baker. Among other
prominent owners were Diamond Jim Brady and the King of Siam.
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1902: |
Walter Baker, in his electric “Torpedo”, attained
the speed of 104 M.P.H. at Ormond Beach, Florida. At that
time, it was the fastest speed achieved by man.
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1904: |
Dr. Hugo Gueldner, Dr. Carl von
Linde and Dr. Georg von Krauss founded the
Gueldner Motoren GmbH in Munich, Germany.
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1906: |
The Gueldner Motoren GmbH opens a new manufacturing
site in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria. Production of motors from 20
to 700 horsepower begins.
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| 1915: |
Rauch & Lang and Baker Motor Vehicle
Company merged to form the Baker, Rauch & Lang
Company. This new company purchased the Owen Magnetic
Company, an auto maker in New York City. Manufacture of the
Owen Magnetic car was begun, a car with a gasoline
engine-driven generator to produce power for an electric motor
to drive the car. Enrico Caruso was among the prominent
owners.
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1917: |
World War I curtailed production of autos due to the
unavailability of critical materials. Baker R & L
turned to the production of bomb handling equipment and
electric industrial tractors. This was the beginning of the
industrial truck industry in the U. S. Baker R & L
continued to make auto bodies for Peerless, Cadillac,
Dusenberg, Hupmobile and Packard until 1928.
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1920: |
Baker R & L developed the first electric ram
truck for carrying steel coils. They added low lift platform
and high lift platform trucks in 1922.
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| 1930: |
Baker R & L developed the first sit-down
control for industrial truck operators, a real treat for sore
feet.
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1933: |
The Gueldner Motoren GmbH in Munich begins the
production of small diesel engines.
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| 1937: |
Baker R & L began producing gasoline-powered
trucks for their industrial line. The company name changed to
Baker Raulang. They also produced battery-powered milk trucks
and other street delivery vehicles.
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1938: |
The Gueldner production expanded to gas driven
motors and generators, aero engines, plough machines and
diesel motors as well as tractors. The first Gueldner tow
tractor model A20 goes into series production.
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1953: |
Otis Elevator Company purchased Baker Raulang and
Lull Manufacturing of Minneapolis, Minnesota. They soon
introduced the Baker traveloader, the first sideloader. The
company came to be known as Baker Division, Otis Elevator.
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1956: |
Gueldner produces the first
hydrostatically driven vehicles in Aschaffenburg. |
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1958: |
Gueldners Hydraulics department was established –
later to become the basis of the Industrial Trucks and
Hydraulics Division by Linde. Production of the first forklift
truck with hydrostatic transmission. |
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1962: |
Baker introduced the Hi-Tailer Series, 48-volt high
speed electric trucks to compete with gasoline and LPG-powered
trucks.
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| 1964: |
Baker pioneered and introduced the first
sit-down
electric truck with solid-state SCR controls.
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1969: |
The Linde Division concentrates on the hydraulics
and forklift truck product ranges. The production of tow
tractors is discontinued.
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| 1977: |
Baker is acquired by Linde AG of Germany. A new
American company is formed named Baker Material Handling
Corporation and the 3-wheel Baker electric and the Linde hydrostatic
drive, diesel-powered line of trucks is introduced in North
America.
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1983: |
Linde-Baker introduces all new models: BTE,
24-volt, three-wheel electric sitdown; BTE/S, 36/48-volt,
three-wheel electric sit-down; and the BW/BWR 4,000 and 6,000
lbs. walkie and walk/ride electric pallet trucks. Linde
acquired Fenwick Manutention, a major producer of lift trucks
in France.
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| 1985: |
The grand opening of the new 225,000 square foot lift
truck plant and offices in Summerville, SC is held in May.
Linde-Baker introduces 15 turret truck models for high lift
narrow aisle applications.
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1989: |
Linde expands its position in the European
Industrial truck market following the merger with Lansing,
Great Britain after acquiring the French warehouse equipment
specialist Fenwick in 1984. Linde becomes the world’s largest
producer of industrial trucks.
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| 1993: |
Linde enters into a majority interest joint venture
to manufacture and market trucks in China and Southeast Asia.
The new company, Linde-Xiamen Fork Lift Truck Corp., is
located in Xiamen, China.
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1997: |
Linde-Baker introduces the EW/EWR series of
electric-powered pallet trucks. This radically advanced family
of trucks immediately wins a major industrial design
competition award.
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| 1999: |
Linde Corporation reacquires the rights to their
trademark in North America. The former Baker Material Handling
Corporation becomes Linde Lift Truck Corporation.
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2000: |
Linde Lift truck Corporation introduces the ECR and
ETR series center-ride pallet trucks and tuggers complementing
the highly successful EW/EWR models Also introduced are the
all new E18C and E20P as well as the E25-30P electric
counterbalanced trucks. The tractor/tugger range of products
is further expanded via the addition of the P60Z and P250
models.
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2001: |
Linde builds the 100,000th 351 series Diesel/LP Gas
counterbalanced forklift truck. The H20 to H35 models proved a
resounding success and firmly established Linde in the big
league of the industry. Since their introduction in 1985 this
range became Europe’s most built forklift truck and one of the
most popular the world over. The new production facilities for
Heavy trucks and Container Handlers is unveiled in Merthyr
Tydfil, Wales.
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2002: |
Linde Lift Truck Corporation introduces the “all
new” 347 series electric counterbalanced trucks. This
Ergo-logic series is designed and built in the USA and covers
the capacity range from 4,500 to 6,500 lbs.
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2003: |
Linde introduces the
revolutionary 39X series engine powered models in the 5,000 - 10,000 lbs capacity range.
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2005: |
Linde celebrates "125 years of new ideas"! A new modernized logo
and corporate image is introduced.
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