Konecranes Deploys Electric Forklifts at Church Brothers Farms

Konecranes has deployed its first electric forklifts in North America at Church Brothers Farms, with support from Total Industries. Two E-VER 17-1200 C electric forklifts entered operation during Q1 2026 at Church Brothers Farms’ receiving, shipping and cold storage facility in Salinas, California.

The deployment supports material handling operations for fresh produce logistics, including unloading deliveries and transporting products into refrigerated warehousing areas. The project forms part of broader efforts to reduce operational emissions and modernize industrial handling systems within agricultural supply chains.

Electric Material Handling for Cold Storage Operations
Church Brothers Farms operates large-scale vegetable farming and distribution activities across California, Arizona and Mexico. Its Salinas facility processes high volumes of temperature-sensitive produce requiring continuous movement between shipping, receiving and refrigerated storage zones.

The electric forklifts replace diesel-powered alternatives in daily warehouse operations. Battery-electric systems eliminate local tailpipe emissions while reducing noise and mechanical complexity associated with internal combustion drivetrains. Electric drive systems can also lower maintenance requirements due to fewer moving engine components and reduced dependence on fuel handling infrastructure.

The forklifts are designed for heavy-duty industrial applications while maintaining operational efficiency in cold storage environments where equipment reliability and maneuverability are critical.

Equipment Integration and Technical Features
Konecranes supplied the E-VER 17-1200 C forklifts, while Total Industries provided local integration and support services. The deployment includes TRUCONNECT Premium+ remote monitoring capabilities, enabling condition monitoring of hydraulic oil quality and contamination levels.

Hydraulic oil monitoring allows maintenance teams to identify degradation or contamination before component damage occurs. According to the companies, this can extend hydraulic oil service life by up to three times, reducing maintenance intervals, lowering fluid consumption and improving equipment uptime.

The forklifts also incorporate operator-focused safety and ergonomic features intended to support long operating shifts common in logistics and warehousing operations.

Deployment Support and Industrial Applications
Total Industries will provide ongoing technical support and maintenance services for the equipment fleet. The distributor has experience supporting agricultural and produce-handling operations across the United States, including applications involving refrigerated logistics infrastructure.

The deployment demonstrates the increasing use of electric industrial automation and material handling systems in food distribution environments where operational continuity, energy efficiency and emissions reduction are becoming larger procurement factors.

Electric forklift systems are increasingly being evaluated for warehouse logistics, cold chain operations and industrial transport applications where centralized charging infrastructure and predictable duty cycles support electrification.

Edited by Natania Lyngdoh, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.

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