Hyster-Yale Materials Handling’s Vice President of Global Emerging Technology, Steven LaFevers, was recently named a ‘2024 Rainmaker’ by DC Velocity, a supply chain and logistics trade publication, the company announced last week. 

In a July 16 news release, Hyster-Yale said the recognition honors LaFevers’ accomplishments at the company, citing his building the company’s Emerging Technology division from the ground up.

 “I’ve worn a lot of different hats in my 24-plus years with Hyster-Yale, but the most rewarding has been developing and leading our Emerging Technology team,” said LaFevers. “I’m honored by this recognition, but want to acknowledge that it doesn’t solely belong to me — it belongs to every member of the team.”

The company described LaFevers’ division as “embodying the technology innovation capabilities of a startup while leveraging the company’s resources as a mature material handling manufacturer.” The Emerging Technology team has grown from 25 employees to more than 150 in the last few years and introduced new technology to the market. 

LaFevers was pivotal in developing and launching a first-of-its-kind operator assistance technology suite, marketed through the Yale and Hyster brands as Yale Reliant and Hyster Reaction.  

Since its commercial launch in 2021, Hyster-Yale said its Hyster Reaction and Yale Reliant systems have been deployed on more than 6,000 lift trucks and accumulated more than 14 million hours of real-world run time. 

The company has rapidly expanded the solution's availability from an original lineup of five lift truck models at launch to a total of 59 models. LaFevers also spearheaded the adoption of the company’s lift truck telematics solution and oversaw the commercialization of the company’s automated lift trucks, which have grown to a commercially installed base of more than 500 units.

LaFevers has also become a go-to source on materials handling trends and technology for media outlets that cover the space. He has participated in interviews and written bylined articles for publications, including Robotics 24/7, Workplace Material Handling & Safety, Food Logistics and more. 

Additionally, LaFevers is a founding member of the East Carolina University (ECU) Innovation Foundation's Board of Directors.

For more information, visit hyster-yale.com.