The company marks 60 years of growth from a small equipment dealership to a leading integrated material handling solutions provider with more than 900 associates
Carolina Handling, the exclusive Raymond Solutions and Support Center for North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida’s central time zone, is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2026.
Founded in 1966, Carolina Handling began operations in a former Charlotte, NC, service station with five associates. Today, the company has more than 900 associates across its five-state territory, including more than 485 Field Service Technicians.
The company has maintained 99 percent customer retention and an average response time of 1.1 hours for breakdown calls.
Carolina Handling President and CEO Brent Hillabrand said the milestone and growth reflect the strength and quality of the company’s associates. “We continue to attract and develop the very best in the industry while leading in our market space. Our customers can depend on us for innovation, quality, and a commitment to their long-term success. We deliver solutions that go beyond equipment,” Hillabrand said.
Carolina Handling continues to evolve from a forklift-only provider to an integrated material handling solutions company, supporting customers with lift trucks, consultation, design, engineering, and implementation of storage and automation solutions to help customers achieve more space, speed, safety, and efficiency with integrated technologies.
In 2025, Carolina Handling opened a new 264,544-square-foot facility in Pickens County, South Carolina, combining the warehouse and office space from four facilities in the Upstate region of South Carolina under one roof. The new facility includes a Customer Experience Center, where visitors can explore integrated automation technologies and see live equipment demonstrations.
For 34 consecutive years, Carolina Handling has been named a Dealer of Distinction (DOD) by The Raymond Corporation, a global provider of best-in-class material handling equipment and intelligent intralogistics solutions.
Carolina Handling has received the prestigious MVP (Most Valuable Partner) Award from the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) for outstanding achievements for six consecutive years.
