Among Forklift Companies, Big Joe Packs Decades of Expertise. Guess Who Benefits?

Few forklift companies have been in business for 53 years. Now, Big Joe leverages all that experience to help customers grow even stronger. 

It takes a certain type of company to rise to the top — and stay there, decade after decade. Get to know Big Joe Lift Trucks, Inc., California’s largest distributor of warehouse and material handling equipment, leading the way 53 years since its founding. 

So, what has allowed Big Joe to set the quality standard among forklift companies for equipment in warehouses, factories, and store rooms across the state? 

Let’s take a look at what you can expect when you partner with Big Joe, from reaping the benefits of the work ethic that turned this family-owned company into such a powerhouse to tapping into its breadth of equipment expertise and superior customer service. 

If you partner with Big Joe, this is what you will find:

Everyone is family

When the employees thrive, so do the customers. That philosophy permeated Big Joe from the start. People who love their jobs are simply better at what they do. They stick around longer and build better, more in-depth institutional expertise. And their satisfaction is contagious. At Big Joe, we not only have mechanics who are well past their 15th anniversary and sales reps with close to 35 years of experience, some of our customers have been with us just as long. It all goes back to Burton Kiefus, who founded Big Joe in 1968. 

He built the company culture that still drives business today: Hard workers can climb the ladder, achieve their goals, and make a good living at Big Joe. Who is on the receiving end when our team goes above and beyond? The customers, of course. 

In those days, the headquarters consisted of a modest building in Lawndale, 30 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. Customers were kept in a Rolodex, mechanics operated out of station wagons, and the secretary doubled as the head of the parts department. And business grew even as more forklift companies entered the competition.

Today, Big Joe is still family owned — Burton Kiefus’s son Jim Kiefus is now in charge — and we work harder than ever for our customers but, these days, we match our founding qualities with the latest in warehouse and material handling equipment, from pallet jacks to straddle stackers to forklifts to pallet racking and shelving. Parts, service, rentals and repairs — it’s all part of the Big Joe package. We emphasize ergonomics while never wavering in our commitment to helping you improve warehouse efficiency. At our headquarters in Carson, everyone is family. Need anything? Please don’t hesitate to contact us. 

Your needs above all

Most of us have experienced the frustration of shopping at a factory store. The inventory may be extensive but then issues arise. You can’t find the product you’re searching for. No one is available to help and when you finally track someone down, the answer leaves you wanting more. Warranty problems? Please hold. And hold. After being transferred and put on hold again, you hang up. 

When you call Big Joe, we pick up the phone. We are not here to just check the box on another sale. Whether you’re buying a basic pallet jack or an ergonomic sitdown forklift with 12-hour battery runtime, we are here to grow with you. That means our after-sale support is as strong as our drive to find the right product for you, one that will make a difference in your warehouse. Should you need to expand, move, or revamp, we hope our high level of dedicated service will convince you to select us over other forklift companies and deepen our partnership. We work tirelessly to earn your business. 

Our full fleet of road mechanics and in-house technicians are here to make sure you remain as pleased as when you walked away with that first product you were looking for. With a fully stocked onsite Parts Department, we can support your aftermarket and service needs. Try us. 

Experts, everywhere

A business that treats every employee as a silo is hard to work with. What if the person you need to talk to is on vacation or is busy serving others? Nothing is as frustrating as getting the runaround when you need immediate assistance — which brings us back to that first Big Joe secretary who also knew everything about parts. That spirit lives on over five decades later. 

In fact, our versatility has become one of our great strengths. The breadth of expertise creates a fluid operation; if a warehouse manager is out for the day, a front office staff member can step in and confidently keep it all humming; if everyone is busy serving customers, the sales reps have the skills to conduct their own demos. 

The longevity of our employees also works to your advantage. Instead of a revolving door that leaves little opportunity to build trusted relationships, you’ll be treated like family.  We look forward to getting to know you and your business needs. 

So, to sum up: Among forklift companies, we pack decades of experience and expertise that can help your operation grow even stronger. Let’s talk.