Crown identifies key trends as it celebrates milestone

Seventy-five years later, Crown is a widely-recognised, global material handling equipment manufacturer and technology provider with more than 16,100 employees worldwide, serving many of the world’s most recognisable brands and category leaders.

The fourth generation of the Dicke family continues to lead Crown from its global headquarters in New Bremen, as well as operate regional headquarters in Australia, China, Germany and Singapore.

“I’m honoured to be a part of this company and the reputation we have earned for working closely with our customers to enhance efficiency, productivity and safety. We could not have reached this point without the support of the communities where we reside and our employees, who are an incredible group of people dedicated to our customers’ success”, said Jim Dicke III, President of Crown Equipment. “We are eager to continue to develop the innovative technology and equipment that will further evolve the material handling industry and our customers’ supply chains around the world. It’s exciting to think about what the company will accomplish in the next 75 years.”

Crown has a long history of exploring and developing advanced technology that has helped determine and define the future of material handling. On the European Market, the company has most recently launched the ESR 1000 reach truck, its first lift truck utilising the new Gena operating system. In early 2020 Crown enhanced the operator experience with the introduction of the InfoLink 7” Touch Display Module.

As the company enters the new decade and celebrates its 75th anniversary, it is working closely with customers to anticipate and incorporate a number of trends creating change in the warehouse and broader supply chain. 

These include:

Adopting a strategic approach to connectivity

With an eye toward tangible benefits and business value, more customers are taking a strategic approach to greater connectivity that is based on clear business objectives and enables them to work toward measurable goals. 

Gaining control of data

Customers are identifying and prioritising the type of data they want to gather and establishing a plan and processes to share relevant, timely information with the right departments and individuals at the right time. Data is presented in a manner that makes it actionable to create meaningful operational and behavioural changes. 

Exploring flexible approaches to automation

The prioritisation of tasks and equipment that are ideal for automation is evident. Customers are developing a clear path for a tangible return on investment that they can build upon to strategically evolve their automation efforts in support of fulfilment strategies. 

Enhancing operator experience

Greater connectivity is enabling fleet managers to create a more informative and personalised experience for operators that is designed to simplify onboarding, maximise productivity, reinforce safety and emphasise engagement to improve workforce retention.