A company like Industrial Truck Service has to start somewhere, and in this case, it was an unassuming shop on McPhillips street in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Providing professional service for the growing material handling industry, John Monteith (founder & President of Industrial Truck Service) focused both on satisfying his growing customer base and recruiting "Can do people, with high enthusiasm, a positive attitude; those willing to work with others, with honesty and integrity." That dedication to quality and the continued growth and training for the members of his team saw Industrial Truck Service make steady growth. Eventually, moving to a larger location on Durand Road and expanding with branches in Saskatoon and Regina , the company made it through the lean years of the early 1980s. It became the exclusive prairie dealer for Toyota forklifts in 1983. Still made in Japan at the time, Toyota had made a strong impression on the industry, one that only grew with their construction of the Columbus plant in Indiana. A little later, in 1995, John and Industrial Truck Service became the prairie region's sole carrier of Crown forklifts, bringing dedicated warehousing machines into its stable of products. A few years later, in 2010, John welcomed Laith Gagnon as a business partner for Industrial Truck Service. In the years since, they've worked together to continue building the company through the strength of its brands and the skill of the team they've assembled one member at a time. Their dedication to their team is reflected in just how many staff have spent careers with the company, with two technicians having crossed 25 years of service this past year alone. The more things change, the more they stay the same Today Industrial Truck Service is proud to be a homegrown company, serving the needs of our varied customers with integrity, honesty, and that same customer-focused attitude John started with. Things have changed a lot over the years, both in the office and on the road. Technology steadily improved emissions, controls, and diagnostics on engine-driven trucks, while electronic controllers slowly took over from banks of contactors on the electric side. The chorus of clicks and belch of exhaust has been replaced with the hum of AC drive systems and the soot-less purr of Tier 4 emission, computer-controlled engines. In the office, paper has slowly been replaced with email, and technicians have added powerful digital tools and dispatching systems to their toolboxes and skills. Some things never change, though. The dedication to excellence that made John decide to build his own company in the first place has stayed true through every day since that first November. There were lean times and good times, but John and Laith have supported their team and been supported in turn through every step John Monteith shared, “The success they have enjoyed could not have been accomplished without our outstanding ITS team.” He went on to say, “How much fun the journey has been.” Laith Gagnon, ITS General Manager, went on to say. “Having the 50th anniversary has defied all odds to grow strong and achieve great things. Today is a day to celebrate this achievement while knowing tomorrow is the start of achieving another anniversary milestone. To our customers, thank you for inspiring us over the last 50 years. You have made us what we are today, and without you, we are nothing. Thank you for your support. Any corporate history to be written about this organization will start with our team members and end with them. They are not just the team, they are the company.” Bill Finerty, Toyota Material Handling Senior Vice President, added that “TMH would like to thank Industrial Truck Service for their strong customer focus and all the successes over the years. Fifty years is a very significant milestone, and we here are at TMH are very proud to be their business partner. Congratulations to John Laith and the extended Industrial Truck Service Team!” Finally, the Industrial Truck Service is extremely thankful for all the well wishes they have received on this happy occasion. If you are interested in learning more about these Dealer events and best practices or have one of your own that you would like to share, please reach out to Trey Barber or Michael Parker with the TMH Dealer Development team trey.barber@toyotatmh.com or michael.parker@toyotattoyotamh.com .
Industrial Truck Service Turns 50!
