Raymond Corporation buys buildings in Kirkwood

KIRKWOOD — The Raymond Corporation has purchased two buildings on connecting parcels Kirkwood, expanding its permanent presence in Broome County and setting the stage for future growth. The company acquired two parcels located at 191 Corporate Drive and 196 Corporate Drive in the town of Kirkwood on April 1. According to Broome County property records, Raymond paid $9.8 million for the parcels, which offer a combined 19.1 acres of land and nearly 190,000 square feet of building for warehouse and light manufacturing space. Raymond, which manufactures forklift trucks and material-handling products, has operated in the buildings for several years under a service agreement with the previous owner, Michael Field, company president and CEO, says. “It was the right time for us to take direct ownership.” Owning the buildings gives the company more flexibility going forward, he notes, and provides some room for additional expansion in the future. “It’s a good location,” he says, with nearby access to major highways. Raymond will maintain the existing 20 employees at the facility and may add more in the future, Field says. The company will also do a little clean up and maintenance on the buildings now that it owns them, including removing some equipment from the previous owner that Raymond does not need. As the company further cements its presence in Broome County, things continue to ramp up at its headquarters in Greene. “We’re continuing to accelerate our capacity in the Greene facility in regards to production,” Field says. That includes running two and three shifts in some production areas so that supply can keep up with demand. Field cites continued growth in ecommerce for the steadily increasing demand for Raymond’s products with a continued warehouse workforce shortage driving customers to look for automation and efficiency solutions. One of the company’s newest products is an integrated safety tether that works with Raymond’s order-picking trucks to increase operator safety. The tether ensures that the truck won’t work unless the operator has connected the tether correctly to their harness. “We’re always looking for new approaches and new technology to apply,” Field says. Raymond is also looking to hire more employees. Currently, it employs nearly 3,000 people. Along with the new Kirkwood site and its headquarters in Greene, Raymond has a third New York location in Syracuse and another in Iowa. Raymond is part of Toyota Industries Corporation.