Alliance Equipment Ltd. has been a key player in northern Alberta’s material handling industry since 1999, acting as a one-stop shop for all material handling needs. They specialize in both new and used equipment sales, field and shop service, parts, rentals and training.
Alliance Equipment was founded by John Whittington, who has been in the Edmonton materials handling community since 1981 when he started working for GNB Batteries. He was later hired by Alberta Forklifts in 1984 to sell new and used forklifts and over the next few years, he worked for a couple of other Edmonton forklift dealerships, learning the ins and outs of business of material handling.
In 1995, an opportunity allowed John and a business partner to open their own forklift company.
“The business was doing well in Edmonton. We were selling and servicing forklifts and had a very good customer base but we suffered some financial hardships and after four years, the company was put into receivership,” reminisces John.
With very little money and only a hope that he could retain some of his customers, Alliance Equipment Ltd. was opened in 1999 in a 3,000 square foot bay in the city’s west end with just three employees.
He continues, “We had one used service van and managed to keep several of the existing customers. As a result, we began servicing forklifts on the first day of opening. We also managed to buy and sell a few forklifts, as well as rent some older units when required.”
To keep things going, John borrowed money from his father to purchase inventory.
“The deal was that I would split the profit with him and when the forklift was sold, I repaid the amount of the forklift plus half of the profit.”
Building up the business took time and was not without its share of adversity but there were also lighthearted moments along the way.
John says, “One of our first big in-shop service jobs was from a customer in the far east end of Edmonton. He wanted us to repair his forklift but said that he didn’t want to pay freight to get it to our shop. I drove the forklift from 17 Street and 72 Avenue down the Yellowhead Trail and all the way to our shop in the west end! It was three hours of white-knuckle steering, but we got it to our shop. That was our first shop job.”
As the business grew, they had no choice but to hire more staff to keep up with the increasing workload.
“We added more service technicians, hired a salesman in 2004, hired our unbelievably efficient and dedicated bookkeeper in 2005 and in 2007 I hired a service technician, Tim Owers, who would competently climb the ranks of the company. In 2011 we hired a rental manager and in 2013, my daughter Breanne came aboard. In 2021, Tim and Breanne together purchased the company from me,” recalls John.
The company is now up to 22 employees and John, Tim and Breanne all agree that, “Hands down, the #1 element to our success is the staff at Alliance Equipment. We have an excellent, hardworking team of people that show up day in and day out and give it their best to make this company what it is. Many of the staff members have been with the company for over a decade. It makes it easy to come to work when you like and trust the people you work with and you have fun at your job.
“We focus on customer service and providing the best possible value for the customer’s money. It’s not about how many pieces of equipment we can sell but more about how we can ensure our customers are looked after. Our product is our service,” says Breanne Whittington, VP operations.
It was in 2008 when Alliance secured the Hangcha forklift line for Northern Alberta, a partnership that lasted for three years until Hangcha changed its business model. Growth of Alliance, however, continued.
“In 2011 we moved into a 5,000-square-foot, double-wide bay with a fenced yard and also became the northern Alberta dealer for UN forklifts. In 2015, we became the dealer for Heli forklifts and two years later we became the northern Alberta dealer for Faresin Telehandlers,” says Breanne.
Things came full circle in 2020 when Hangcha approached Alliance Equipment and asked them to be their northern Alberta dealer once again.
Tim Owers, general manager, notes, “We have grown every year since the company was opened but nothing compared to the last 2-3 years. The key to this growth and success can be hugely attributed to our partnership with Hangcha Forklifts Canada, who have been instrumental in supporting us to ensure mutual growth. It is also why we have access to so much equipment at our location and throughout Canada without having to wait weeks or months for delivery, along with excellent technical and parts support.”
He adds, “When we first sold over 100 new pieces of equipment in one year, that was a big moment for us as a company. It was something that everyone played a part in and as a small business with only one branch, it was very significant.”
In 2016, Alliance Equipment fully outgrew the space they were in and with help from the BDC, they became the proud owner of a new 15,000-square-foot
freestanding building on 2.5 acres of land in the Winterburn area of Edmonton.
These days there are different challenges outside of growth but nothing the resilient company cannot handle.
“With our brand of equipment being manufactured in China, there is a lot of stigma that comes with that due to unfound fears of subpar quality,” says John. “Hangcha has brought the quality of the product up to a very high standard and offers exceptional warranties. As such, we have grown the brand in the Edmonton area with great success and it has now become a more widely accepted product in the industry.”
“We have been the second ranked Hangcha dealer in all of Canada for 2021 and 2022. It’s a huge accomplishment for us especially when other dealers are situated in much larger markets. We hope to retain the ranking for 2023 at the Hangcha sales conference later this year,” says Tim.
An advantage of their product knowledge and inventory includes being able to offer lithium-ion equipment.
Tim says, “Lithium-ion equipment is essentially maintenance free. It does not require water, emit gasses, or create too much heat when charging. It is long lasting, has a short charge time and uses less energy than standard lead acid chargers. Some of our lithium products are priced below or very close to lead acid alternatives, so while it is highly suited to multi-shift companies; even businesses that only use their forklifts an hour or two a day are seeing the benefits of lithium.”
As for the future of Alliance Equipment, they are beginning to focus on products within the material handling industry that they find don’t get enough support locally, such as industrial battery and charger service and repair. As well, in partnership with Hangcha, they are launching the world’s first all electric 4WD rough terrain forklift in Canada, which will be a revolutionary line of equipment.
“We have been so fortunate to have sustained positive growth each and every year for the past 25 years,” says John, “and this can be attributed to our wonderful team of dedicated, hardworking employees, our many supportive vendors and of course all of the great customers we have had the pleasure of serving over the years. Our philosophy is that the customer is the reason for our success in the industry and we continually strive to ensure that we always remain grateful.”
Alliance Equipment has been in business in Edmonton for 25 years and will continue to be a force in the forklift industry for many years to come.
22050 Stony Plain Road
Edmonton, AB T5S 2C3
(780) 452-9679
Learn more at allianceequipment.ca
