Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet
Clark Material Handling in Louisville receives Governor's Safety and Health Award

FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 31, 2007) – The 49 employees in the Louisville distribution center of the Clark Material Handling Co. have earned a Governor’s Safety and Health Award for working more than 352,000 hours without a “lost-time” injury or illness.

Philip Anderson, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Labor, presented the award to company officials during a ceremony today at the Louisville facility.

The award is given to employers and employees who together have achieved a specified number of hours worked without a recordable injury or illness.

“Improving workplace safety is a primary goal of Governor Ernie Fletcher’s administration,” Anderson said. “The aim of every safety and health program is to see that Kentucky workers return safely home each day to their families. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of every employer and employee in the commonwealth making safety a priority for themselves and each other.”

The distribution center is a 180,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility that supplies aftermarket parts to 92 dealers in 224 locations in North America, Germany, Brazil, Korea and Australia. Its staff includes full-time and temporary employees.

Clark Material Handling Co. is celebrating its 90th anniversary of manufacturing forklift trucks and other equipment. Clark invented the first material handling truck in 1917. The company has built over 1 million forklifts since 1924. Clark was founded in 1903 as a drill manufacturer.

The Kentucky Department of Labor is an agency of the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet.