OUR STORY

OUR HISTORY

The History of The H&K Equipment Group

What began in a small office in a two-story building in Dormont, Pennsylvania is now a network of interconnected companies with locations across Pittsburgh, West Virginia, the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. This is the story of how the H&K Equipment Group has grown up alongside the material handling industry.

Original HK Equipment Homebase
Location of the original Pennell Engineering Associates in Dormont, PA

  • 1979 | Dormont, PA

    The beginnings of H&K Equipment

    George C. Koch joins Pennell Engineering Associates

  • 1982 | Carnegie, PA

    Moving on up...

    Pennell Engineering Associates moves from Dormont to a larger facility in Carnegie, Pennsylvania.

  • 1983 | Carnegie, PA

    H&K Equipment is founded

    H&K Equipment is founded with R. Alan Heidenrich and George Koch as managing partners. The company purchases its first rental trucks and establishes a full-service repair shop.

  • 1985 | Carnegie, PA

    Mega-Lift is launched

    H&K Equipment launches Mega-Lift as a full-service Autolift truck dealership.

  • 1985 | Linthicum Heights, MD

    Franklin Sales & Service is founded

    Chuck Krug founds Franklin Sales & Service as a dealer of industrial floor cleaning equipment for the greater Baltimore area.

  • 1986 | Bensalem, PA

    Yard Truck Specialists is founded

    Steve Croasdale founds Yard Truck Specialists as a Kalmar Ottawa yard truck dealer for the greater Philadelphia area.

Taylor Northeast

  • 1989 | Morgantown, PA

    Taylor Northeast is founded

    H&K Equipment opens a sister company, Taylor Northeast, in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, to serve the eastern half of the state as well as markets in Maryland, eastern West Virginia, Delaware, and New Jersey.

  • 1990 | Baltimore, MD

    Taylor Northeast opens Baltimore branch

    Taylor Northeast expands and opens a branch office and shop in Baltimore.

  • 1997 | Carnegie, PA

    The "H" in H&K Equipment retires

    After spending decades in the industry, H&K Equipment co-founder R. Alan Heidenrich retires.

  • 1997 | Carnegie, PA

    H&K Equipment continues to grow

    H&K Equipment expands its rental, used equipment, and wholesale departments.

  • 1997 | Carnegie, PA

    D&S Industrial Contracting is founded

    Del Celaschi and his sons Steve, Rich, and John found D&S Industrial Contracting as a full-service manufacturer of overhead cranes and components for the greater Pittsburgh area.

  • 1998 | Carnegie, PA

    A new partner joins H&K Equipment

    Peter A. Cicero becomes a partner in H&K Equipment.

  • 2001 | Baltimore, MD

    Franklin Sales & Service joins H&K Equipment

    H&K Equipment acquires Franklin Sales & Service, now in operation for 15 years. The company changes its name to TNE Franklin.

H&K Fleet of vehicles

  • 2001 | Coraopolis, PA

    H&K Equipment moves to Coraopolis, PA

    H&K Equipment outgrows its Carnegie headquarters and moves into its current facility in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. The new 85,000-square-foot shop is complemented by 8,000 square feet of office space.

  • 2003 | Carnegie, PA

    Premier Granite & Stone is founded

    Premier Granite & Stone is founded in Carnegie, Pennsylvania by H&K Equipment and Michael Piskurich. The new company provides stone countertop fabrication and installation services.

IMG_0369

  • 2006 | Bensalem, PA

    Yard Truck Specialists joins H&K Equipment

    H&K Equipment acquires Yard Truck Specialists, now in operation for over 20 years. The Bensalem-based Kalmar Ottawa dealer is one of the most successful providers of terminal tractors in the U.S.

  • 2008 | Coraopolis, PA

    H&K Equipment expands its footprint

    H&K Equipment purchases a 1.5-acre parcel and 13,000-square-foot building adjacent to its headquarters in advance of its acquisition of D&S Industrial Contracting.

  • 2009 | Coraopolis, PA

    D&S Industrial Contracting joins H&K Equipment

    H&K Equipment acquires D&S Industrial Contracting, now in operation for over 10 years. The company changes its name to D&S Hoist and Crane.

  • 2010 | Struthers, OH

    Magnetic Lifting Technologies US is founded

    H&K Equipment founds Magnetic Lifting Technologies US in Struthers, Ohio as a full-service lifting electromagnet manufacturer and repair shop that serves the scrap, slag, and steel industries.

  • 2012 | Coraopolis, PA

    Governor Corbett visits H&K Equipment

    Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett speaks at H&K Equipment during a tour of the company's Coraopolis headquarters.

H&K Equipment in Coraopolis, PA
H&K Equipment in Coraopolis, PA

  • 2013 | Coraopolis, PA

    D&S Hoist and Crane expands

    D&S Hoist and Crane expands into a new 25,000-square-foot shop attached to its existing space in Coraopolis.

  • 2014 | York, PA

    Yard Truck Specialists opens York branch

    Yard Truck Specialists opens a branch office in York, Pennsylvania to better serve its growing customer base.

Magnetic Lifting Technologies new headquarters in New Castle, PA
Magnetic Lifting Technologies new headquarters in New Castle, PA

  • 2014 | New Castle, PA

    MLTUS moves to a new, state-of-the-art facility

    Magnetic Lifting Technologies US relocates from Struthers to a new 35,000-square-foot manufacturing facility constructed on a five-acre property in New Castle, Pennsylvania.

  • 2014 | Carnegie, PA

    Premier Granite & Stone invests in the future

    Premier Granite & Stone invests in automated CNC and waterjet stone cutting saws, making it one of the most advanced stone surface fabricating facilities in the country.

  • 2014 | Coraopolis, PA

    H&K Equipment grows again

    H&K Equipment purchases a four-acre parcel adjacent to its headquarters in anticipation of further expansion, bringing the total area of its Coraopolis location to 14 acres.

  • 2015 | Morgantown, PA

    Taylor Northeast expands its footprint, too

    Taylor Northeast completes construction of an 8,500-square foot expansion of its Morgantown headquarters that includes additional office and industrial space as well as storage.

  • 2015 | New Castle, PA

    MLTUS releases the Armadillo Lead Protection System

    MLTUS lead engineer Dan Love creates the Armadillo Lead Protection System, a device that prevents magnet leads from being severed or otherwise damaged.

  • 2015 | Emmaus, PA

    Taylor Northeast opens Lehigh Valley branch

    Taylor Northeast opens a 5,000-square-foot branch in Emmaus, Pennsylvania to serve the rapidly growing equipment market in the Lehigh Valley region.

  • 2015 | Pleasant Grove, UT

    MLTUS wins the "Best Practice Award" from national association

    The Armadillo Lead Protection System wins the 2015 Best Practice Award from the National Slag Association after the Armadillo is shown to reduce magnet downtime by as much as 90% at some customer locations.

  • 2015 | Ironbridge, GB

    H&K Equipment joins the Thomas Parker centenary

    H&K Equipment Operations Manager Patrick Koch is invited to Ironbridge, England as a special guest of the Thomas Parker Centenary, an event commemorating the life of Thomas Parker, co-founder of the original Elwell-Parker Company.

  • 2016 | Syracuse, NY

    Taylor Northeast opens Syracuse branch

    Taylor Northeast opens a facility -- now its third branch -- in Syracuse, New York to expand its presence in the state and to better serve customers throughout the region.

  • 2016 | Coraopolis, PA

    Senator Toomey speaks at H&K Equipment

    Pennsylvania Senator Patrick J. Toomey visits H&K Equipment to address the National Federation of Independent Businesses during his 2016 reelection campaign.

  • 2017 | Washington, DC

    Taylor Northeast lift truck is featured at White House

    A Taylor X-330S forklift provided by Taylor Northeast is featured as part of Made in America Day at a White House ceremony hosted by President Donald J. Trump.

  • 2017 | Bensalem, PA

    Yard Truck Specialists expands again

    Yard Truck Specialists purchases a 21,000-square-foot building next to its Bensalem headquarters, providing the company with additional storage and an industry-leading shop facility.

  • 2018 | Baltimore, MD

    TNE Franklin joins with Taylor Northeast

    TNE Franklin joins with Taylor Northeast and drops the "Franklin" from its name to better reflect its expanded sales and service area.

Donald J. Trump

  • 2018 | Coraopolis, PA

    President Donald Trump holds rally at H&K Equipment

    President Donald J. Trump visits H&K Equipment's Coraopolis headquarters and holds a rally after touring the facility and meeting with co-owners George Koch and Peter Cicero.

  • 2018 | Coraopolis, PA

    H&K Equipment and Taylor Northeast add Trackmobile

    H&K Equipment and Taylor Northeast are named as dealers for Trackmobile mobile railcar movers in the mid-Atlantic region.

  • 2018 | Coraopolis, PA

    H&K Equipment expands Taylor territory in Ohio

    H&K Equipment takes over representation of Taylor lift trucks in western Pennsylvania and parts of West Virginia and Ohio.

  • 2018 | Morgantown, PA

    Taylor Northeast adds Mecfor

    Taylor Northeast begins offering customized Mecfor mobile equipment solutions

  • 2018 | Morgantown, PA

    Taylor Northeast adds Mecfor

    Taylor Northeast begins offering customized Mecfor mobile equipment solutions

  • 2018 | Coraopolis, PA

    H&K Equipment adds warehousing and racking solutions

    H&K Equipment expands its product offerings to include full complements of warehouse, racking, and mezzanine products in its growing portfolio.

  • 2018 | Coraopolis, PA

    H&K Equipment becomes a Columbia dealer

    H&K Equipment begins offering sales and service for complete lines of Columbia utility vehicles.

  • 2018 | Morgantown, PA

    Taylor Northeast adds Wiggins marina lifts

    Taylor Northeast, in conjunction with Taylor Machine Works, becomes a dealer for Wiggins marina lift trucks in the mid-Atlantic region.

  • 2018 | New Castle, PA

    MLTUS is awarded a US patent for the Armadillo

    The Armadillo Lead Protection System is awarded a U.S. patent for its ground-breaking design.

  • 2018 | Coraopolis, PA

    H&K Equipment and Taylor Northeast add Zephir

    H&K Equipment and Taylor Northeast become dealers for Zephir electric railcar movers in the mid-Atlantic region.

  • 2018 | Morgantown, PA

    Taylor Northeast expands Taylor territory in NY and NJ

    Taylor Northeast expands its representation of Taylor lift trucks into northern New Jersey and the Five Burroughs of New York, an area which includes the Port of New York and New Jersey.

  • 2018 | Allentown, PA

    Taylor Northeast Lehigh Valley moves to a larger facility

    Taylor Northeast relocates from Emmaus to a new location in nearby Allentown. The larger, state-of-the-art building is designed to better accommodate Taylor Northeast's growing presence in the region.

  • 2019 | Pittsburgh, PA

    H&K Equipment Group is launched

    To better showcase its complementary products and services, H&K Equipment launches the H&K Equipment Group at the 2019 AISTech Exposition. The H&K Equipment's Group mission is to combine the scope of a major material handling equipment supplier with the individualized service of a specialized small business.

  • 2019 | Coraopolis, PA

    H&K Equipment Group introduces LIFTS

    H&K Equipment Group introduces LIFTS, a core values statement developed by employees at each of its seven companies:

    Lead
    Improve
    Focus
    Teamwork
    Safety

  • 2019 | North Hampton, NH

    Taylor Northeast opens New England branch

    Taylor Northeast opens a fourth branch in North Hampton, New Hampshire to provide expanded sales and service to customers throughout the Boston area.

  • 2020 | Bensalem, PA

    Yard Truck Specialists launches new ecommerce website

    Yard Truck Specialists launches new ecommerce website with thousands of parts available for purchase.

  • 2020 | Pittsburgh, PA

    Premier Granite & Stone featured at 40th anniversary of This Old House

    Premier Granite & Stone sponsors and is featured at the 40th anniversary celebration of This Old House at WQED's Mr. Rogers Studio in Pittsburgh.

  • 2020 | Elkins, WV

    H&K Equipment opens West Virginia branch

    H&K Equipment opens its first-ever branch location in Elkins, West Virginia to provide enhanced sales and service support to customers throughout the state.

  • 2021 | Harrisburg, PA

    Yard Truck Specialists begins renovations on Harrisburg facility

    Yard Truck Specialists purchases and begins extensive renovations on 17,000-square-foot facility in Harrisburg, including new bays, shop space, and office space.

  • 2021 | Huntington, WV

    H&K Equipment opens second West Virginia location

    H&K Equipment opens a sales office in Huntington, West Virginia to provide sales and service support to customers throughout the tri-state region and in eastern Kentucky.

  • 2022 | Morgantown, PA

    Taylor Northeast Becomes Exclusive Distributor for EPIQ Mecfor Products

    Taylor Northeast becomes the sole U.S. distributor for EPIQ Mecfor custom equipment to service the aluminum mill market.

  • 2022 | Coraopolis, PA

    D&S Hoist and Crane Becomes Crane 1

    After 25 years of innovation and growth, D&S Hoist and Crane becomes part of Ohio-based manufacturer Crane 1.

  • 2022 | Pittsburgh, PA

    Taylor Northeast Named Top Dealer for Taylor Machine Works

    Taylor Northeast earns the distinction of becoming the highest-volume dealer of Taylor Machine Works equipment in 2021.

  • 2022 | Pittsburgh, PA

    Premier Granite & Stone Provides Countertops for "QED Cooks"

    Premier Granite & Stone fabricates and installs the granite surfaces in the newly-redesigned studio kitchen of the legendary cooking show, "QED Cooks." 

TNE Wins 2022 Hangcha Dealer Award

  • 2022 | New Castle, PA

    MLTUS Joins Crane 1

    MLTUS becomes the second ancillary H&K Equipment Group to join Crane 1. The company will continue to manufacture state-of-the-art magnets under new ownership.

  • 2023 | Chicago, IL

    Taylor Northeast Earns Top Dealer Award from HC Forklift America

    Taylor Northeast receives the 2022 Top Dealer Award for the Northeast Region as well as the Dealer of Excellence Award from HC North America.

  • 2023 | Beverly, WV

    H&K Equipment moves Elkins branch to a permanent location

    H&K Equipment's branch in Elkins, West Virginia moves to a permanent location in nearby Beverly, renovating the entire facility.

  • 2023 | Harrisburg, PA

    Yard Truck Specialists York Branch Moves to Harrisburg

    Yard Truck Specialists moves its York, Pennsylvania branch to a much larger facility in nearby Harrisburg to better serve customers in the region.