Clark opens western branch in Duisburg and pushes ahead with direct sales

Clark Europe sets the course for the future: With the official inauguration of its new West branch in Duisburg on 24 April 2026, the inventor of the forklift truck has significantly advanced the expansion of its direct sales operations. The new premises in the Asterlagen business park are strategically located directly opposite Clark's European headquarters.

In addition to its proven distribution network of authorised dealers, Clark is now also focusing more on direct sales. The aim is to better exploit the market potential in the Ruhr region, one of Europe's most densely industrialised areas, by maximising proximity to customers.

‘The opening of the West branch is a clear commitment to our location in Duisburg and an essential step for our growth strategy in Europe,’ explains Stefan Budweit, President & CEO Clark Europe. ‘Through direct sales, we are creating an exclusive interface to advise customers directly from the factory with our entire know-how and to consolidate long-term partnerships on an equal footing.’

Focus on growth and customer satisfaction

The new property covers a total area of 3,441 m². Of this, 900 m² is allocated to storage, workshops and presentation areas, and 435 m² to modern offices and meeting rooms. At the heart of the location is the integrated R&D development centre (355 m²), which takes advantage of its close proximity to the European headquarters and the international spare parts centre to implement technical innovations.

Dirk Blanke, Regional Manager & Western Branch Manager, who has been in charge of the Western Branch since the beginning of 2025, emphasised at the opening: ‘Our customers benefit from exclusive advice directly from the manufacturer. We want to not only better understand market requirements, but also respond to them more quickly and in a more targeted manner. Whether it's test drives on our presentation area, in-depth application analyses with the customer on site, vehicle tests directly at the place of use or tailor-made financing solutions – we offer everything from a single source. We look forward to shaping the future of material flow together with our customers.’

The West branch is focusing on further growth in order to deliver on this promise. The direct sales team currently consists of nine employees and five service vehicles. Expansion is already being planned: ‘We would like to strengthen our team with 2-3 specialist consultants and 4-5 service technicians in order to ensure a seamless service network in the Ruhr area,’ says Dirk Blanke.

Centre for Innovation and Service opens its doors

As part of the celebrations, guests will not only be given an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes at the West branch and the R&D development centre, but also at Clark Europe's European headquarters, the international spare parts centre with a total area of 1,913 m², where more than 23,000 different items are stored – in addition to Clark-specific parts, parts for other brands in OEM quality, the training centre, where regular training courses for sales and service staff take place, and the Clark Museum, which impressively documents the more than 100-year success story of the inventor of the forklift truck.

Guests can also take a look at Clark product highlights, including the latest Clark Crossover series Raider (L25-35XE) and Renegade (S25-35XE) series, which combine environmentally friendly electric drives with the power of combustion engines, and the 48-volt electric three- and four-wheel forklifts STE and SE16-20, which are available with either lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries. Like their 80-volt counterparts, they belong to the S-Series Electric. Another highlight is the new ‘CLARK Fusion’ battery technology, presented for the first time at LogiMAT in Stuttgart, which is considered the key to the electric mobility of the future.

One-stop shop: from new and rental equipment to used equipment

The West branch acts as a full-service provider. In addition to selling new equipment and offering an extensive rental fleet for peak demand periods, another focus is on high-quality used equipment. ‘Investing in new equipment is not the most economical solution for every business,’ says Dirk Blanke. ‘For start-ups or small businesses, for example, purchasing new equipment is often too expensive.’ A used vehicle is a good alternative here. Companies that only use a forklift once or twice a day do not necessarily need new equipment either. Every vehicle from the return stock is meticulously inspected and, if necessary, repaired to the standard of a new machine – using only Clark original spare parts. ‘With a used vehicle refurbished to premium quality, the difference between it and a new machine is not noticeable to the layman,’ explains Dirk Blanke.

With short distances, direct links to the spare parts department and an integrated delivery inspection (PDI), the West branch guarantees the highest process quality and maximum customer satisfaction in the heart of the world's largest inland port.