Photo by Sophia Thacker

hen the Alaska Railroad needed to replace some of its antiquated rail support equipment, it tapped All Pro Alaska to provide four new Toyota forklifts. The multi-million project was a long time in the making: All Pro initially bid the job in 2005. The project was also complex, requiring meticulous execution from all parties involved.

Manufactured in Toyota’s Columbus, Indiana facility, the forklifts had to be disassembled after production and testing and then shipped on about six tractor-trailer trucks to Tacoma, Washington. Then the forklifts—each weighing 228,000 pounds—had to be barged to Whittier and moved by train to Anchorage and assembled or trucked to Fairbanks and constructed there. “This project was only possible due to the coordination of the Alaska Railroad’s top managerial and technical people,” says All Pro Alaska CEO Jesse Thacker. “They were absolutely the best to work with through the entire process.”

All Pro’s stellar managers, parts and sales teams, and mechanics worked fastidiously to finalize the two-year job. Despite the weather, logistics, and other challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company was able to complete the fourth and final assembly and placed the forklifts into use May 2021. “It is a mighty accomplishment that not only the Alaska Railroad and All Pro can be proud of but every Alaskan should be proud of,” Thacker says. “Our great Alaska Railroad not only invested in our country by buying a US product and invested in our state by buying from an Alaska company, but also invested in its customers and suppliers for years to come. All Pro is privileged to have been part of such an endeavor.”        

With seventeen employees, Anchorage-based All Pro is Alaska’s leading provider of forklifts and material handling equipment. Although it is the official dealer for some of the best forklift and equipment brands—Toyota, Doosan, Sellick, JLG, and AICHI—the company supports all brands. All Pro also offers this differentiating attribute: a caring attitude. “How you treat people is so important, not just because they are a customer but because they are people with lives and families,” Thacker says. “Our greatest goal is not just to do good business but leave every person who comes in contact with our business a little bit better.”

Serving Alaska since 1997, All Pro’s internal and customer mottos are, respectively, total commitment and total support. Not surprising, the company has achieved the highest customer satisfaction and lift truck sales among all Toyota dealers nationwide. To better serve customers, All Pro is modernizing its operations and planning a future expansion to Fairbanks.

All Pro genuinely cares about the success of its customers and the community. During the pandemic, it donated money and services to the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and multiple food banks, including more than $4,000 worth of free services to Food Bank Alaska. Thacker says, “We serviced their machines for six months at no charge, so funds that were normally used for maintenance could be diverted to supporting their core mission: feeding families.”