About Blue Giant

Blue Giant was founded on May 30,1963 by Kurt Larsen, and quickly became a leading manufacturer of dock levelers and hand pallet trucks.

Blue Giant's customer base expanded so rapidly that new product offerings (electric pallet trucks and stackers, dock lifts, and scissor lifts) were introduced to meet the needs of customers and the changing market. Licensee partnerships in Australia and South Africa resulted in Blue Giant dominating the market in both countries.

Blue Giant's primary manufacturing location in Brampton, Ontario, was expanded from 35,000 to 100,000 square feet to handle growing demand. In 1985 the company signaled its future focus on product innovation by introducing the TL85, the first non-impact vehicle restraint, to the North American market.

Blue Giant’s global presence expanded with licensee partnerships in Mexico and Southeast Asia. On the material handling front, the company redesigned its industrial truck line to include ergonomic handles and a sleeker, more maneuverable body. The new trucks were easier to use and more compatible with tight spaces, making them indispensable in busy warehouses and logistics centres.

In 2001 Blue Giant introduced the XDS Extra Dock Safety Series, the only 2-in-1 interlocked dock system that lowered the risk of forklift run-off and overhead door damage. More innovations quickly followed: the microprocessor-based Blue Genius® Touch Control Panel, which revolutionized ‘smart’ control technology; the StrongArm™ SVR303 vehicle restraint, whose patented technology and trusted performance made it a winner in Plant Engineering’s Product of the Year competition in 2009; the U-Series dock leveler platform, which reduces deck fatigue by enabling a better distributed load, and the Air Cylinder dock leveler  , an industry first that uses the power of air to deliver the same optimum performance that makes Blue Giant dock levelers an industry standard.

Blue Giant continued to expand its product line and global presence. Stocking locations opened across North America, providing customers with quick and cost-effective access to parts and equipment. In 2011, the company entered into a strategic partnership with Big Lift LLC to exclusively distribute the Big Joe brand of AC-powered industrial trucks in Canada.

Blue Giant launched the StrongArm™ HVR303 electric vehicle restraint. The product is environmentally sustainable, indicating the company’s ongoing support for green building practices and initiatives.

ConfigureBLUE^®, Blue Giant’s product configuration tool launches. ConfigureBLUE^® allows customers to quickly obtain quotations and submittal approval drawings.

In January, Blue Giant launched its U.S. operation, Blue Giant LLC, and opened a new manufacturing facility in Greensboro, North Carolina. This new location is focused on the manufacturing and distribution of the company’s growing line of innovative dock seals and shelters, which includes fixed and inflatable seals, stationary and retractable truck shelters, full access seals, and rain shrouds. In September Blue Giant launched a premium-level Blue Genius® that incorporated the powerful features of the Gold Series with ability to control more equipment. 

The company’s Industrial Truck and Aftermarket portfolios grew to include several exciting new offerings. In November, Blue Giant launched the VL Vertical Storing Dock Leveler, a next-generation model with unique features that add greater levels of safety and versatility to dock operations.

The company also marked two years accident-free in the plant in October 2015.

At the start of 2016, Blue Giant launched the Elite Series of inflatable dock seals and shelters that present a versatile form of loading dock protection, with the ability to service the widest variety of trucks and trailers.

Blue Giant announced a new headquarters location in Mississauga, Ontario. The advanced facility moved its 100,000 sq ft  location in Brampton to nearly twice the capacity – 150,000 square feet.

In February 2018, Blue Giant launched ConfigureBLUE^® 2.0, an update to its online configuration and quoting system that became one of the most sophisticated and comprehensive quoting tools in the industry.

Blue Giant opened its new state of the art manufacturing facility in May. The facility includes robotic welding, a 700-foot automated PowderCoat™ paint conveyor line, and source capture fume and dust extraction that is environmentally friendly. With this, the NextGen Mechanical and Hydraulic Dock Levelers, with three Load Classifications of W-Workhorse; H-Heavy and S- Super, were launched.

Blue Giant continued as a leader in safety products with the launch of the Interlock Chock (ITC) Vehicle Restraint system. The company continued to grow, with four locations employing 250+ employees: a New Headquarters facility; Blue Giant Solutions (3,500 sq. ft); Manufacturing in Greensboro, North Carolina (40,000 sq. ft); and Manufacturing in Louisville KY. In May the company celebrated the 5-year anniversary of Blue Giant University with nearly 500 students passing through the program. Closing out the year, the company purchased Verti-Lift in December, rebranding the business as Blue Giant Lifts.

In March 2020 Blue Giant was classified as an essential business during Covid-19 lockdowns. Despite the shift to online work and implementation of social distancing measures, the company worked to keep business running with minimal disruption. 

2020 was an exciting year for product launches, with the addition of the LoMaster™ Dock Lift DL Series, the addition of the NextGen Vertical Storing Dock Leveler, and HingeMaster™ Extreme door seal system to Blue Giant’s comprehensive lineup. 

The company implemented a second shift at its Admiral Location in order to meet growing demand.

Continuing to build out its support for businesses with multiple facilities, Nation C.A.R.E.^® is established, providing a centralized contact and billing location for businesses with a need to standardize goals for their equipment, safety, and productivity requirements.

In February, the company made a significant investment by relocating to a modern Scissor Lift Table Facility in KY, USA. The move expanded their production space significantly, from a 14,000 square foot facility with two shipping docks to a 65,000 square foot facility featuring ten shipping docks. Along with this expansion, the company broadened its NextGen Dock Leveler product line to include the E-Extreme and U-Ultra Load Classification categories.

In September, Blue Giant acquired a controlling interest in Cormac Industrial, a leading company in ergonomic lift assist solutions. This strategic acquisition expanded Blue Giant's product portfolio to include air balancers, jib cranes, pneumatic lift tables, lift assist systems, and overhead enclosed monorail systems. With over 30 years of expertise and proven success in engineered ergonomic lift systems for work cells and assembly lines, Cormac brings invaluable experience to enhance Blue Giant's global capabilities in delivering solutions that improve safety and productivity.

In November, the company opened a new facility in Mississauga, ON for the Aftermarket/Customer Experience Team and Blue Genius^® Controls Manufacturing.

The company marks its 60^th Anniversary in the spring of 2023, continuing as a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of loading dock safety systems and ergonomic solutions. With 5 facilities across North America, Blue Giant proudly employs more than 400 people as part of its world-class team. 

In April of this year, the Air Powered Next Gen Dock Leveler was launched. The company also launched ergonomics products from Cormac into North America, including Balancers, Jib Arms, and Rail Systems. In addition, 2023 marks 10 years of Nation C.A.R.E.^® as well as 10 years of Blue Giant University.

Blue Giant continued to develop new products, adding the Rain Shroud Max to its Seals and Shelters Line up, as well as combination shelters including Foam Frame Extreme and HingeMaster™ Extreme, strengthening company’s offerings for better hygiene and environmental control.