Forklift Donation: Cuyahoga Scenic Valley Railroad
History of Towlift
History of the Towlift Experience
Towlift has grown into one of the largest material handling dealerships in the country. Our experience enables us to provide customers with a full range of material handling solutions today.
- Ohio Locations:
- Cleveland: (216) 749-6800
- Columbus: (614) 851-1001
- Mentor: (440) 951-9519
- Toledo: (419) 666-1333
- CA & PA Locations:
- Erie, PA: (814) 454-3802
- Pittsburgh, PA: (724) 385-9520
- Oakland, CA: (510) 534-6566
Our Founder
It all started in 1965, when Gerald N. Cannon founded Towlift, Inc. as a Towmotor dealership in Cleveland, Ohio.
His goal? To build up a forklift dealership that makes a big difference in the customer's experience.
Gerald led Towlift to regional growth by staying focused on that goal for many years.
Following Caterpillar's purchase of Towmotor, Gerald moved the operation to a full-service facility, steadily growing it into one of the largest material handling dealerships in the eastern half of the United States.
The success of Gerald's business won many awards, such as Caterpillar Lift Truck Dealer of the Year and Inside Business Magazine's list of the top 90 companies in the Cleveland area.
Gerald was known for his charm, brilliant business sense, and inquisitiveness. He coined the phrase, "It's the dealer that makes the difference," Towlift's company slogan, which will live on in his memory.
Decades of Growth
After Gerald Cannon, David H. Cannon led Towlift from 2002 through 2018 and is still involved today. Under David's leadership, the company experienced exceptional growth. Towlift expanded customer services, including fleet management, wholesale used equipment, and industrial battery service, and expanded the organization's equipment product lines and sales and service locations.
David is a known philanthropist and donated equipment and his time to several charitable institutions. David instilled the importance of community service throughout the Towlift organization. Community service remains one of our core values today.
Towlift Charitable Contribution: GuitarMania
Equipment Donation: Greater Cleveland Food Bank
Towlift Today
Towlift is in its third generation of family ownership, with sales and service locations in multiple states. Towlift is one of the industry's most experienced material handling dealers and industrial equipment distributors. This experience gives us the expertise to offer customers a full range of material handling solutions that make a difference in their business operations.
Bob Kwieciak currently serves as Towlift President.
Towlift's Team is Dedicated to the Customer's Experience
The Towlift Team stands behind Gerald Cannon's original goal to this day. We are the dealer that makes the difference...for you.