About Lift Equipt
Built in the Pilbara.
Trusted Australia-wide.
Australia's most trusted provider of forklifts and portable power, sales, hire, service and parts under one roof.
Customer first. Machine must run. 24 hours a day.
Our Journey — From a Pilbara Workshop to a National Dealer Network
From a single workshop in Karratha to an authorised Australian dealer for Bobcat materials handling equipment and Bobcat Portable Power, the Lift Equipt story is the story of one rule lived for nearly two decades — customer first, machine must run, 24 hours a day.
Founded in Karratha by Brett Johnston
Lift Equipt is founded in Karratha, Western Australia by Brett Johnston — a plant mechanic by trade who had worked on forklifts and heavy machinery from a very young age. From day one Brett ran the business by a single rule: the customer comes first, the machine must run, and we'll work 24 hours a day to make that happen.
Perth branch opens — port & heavy equipment
Lift Equipt opens its second branch in Perth, building out a large-machinery and port-equipment division. The team wins a major contract with Qube Logistics at the Port of Fremantle, supplying the full warehousing and intermodal port-handling fleet — a defining moment that establishes Lift Equipt as a serious heavy-handling partner.
National expansion to the East Coast
Lift Equipt expands nationally into the East Coast — Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and beyond — building long-term partnerships with national organisations across logistics, construction, manufacturing and resources. The business evolves from a forklift specialist into a full materials-handling and machinery expert, with technicians, sales and parts on the ground in every major Australian city.
Exclusive Bobcat materials handling rights
Lift Equipt is awarded the exclusive Australian distribution rights for Bobcat materials handling equipment — diesel, electric, LPG and warehouse forklifts up to 45 tonnes plus reach stackers. A landmark agreement that cements the partnership between two trusted, customer-first brands.
Exclusive Bobcat Portable Power rights
Lift Equipt is awarded the exclusive national rights to import the full Bobcat Portable Power range into Australia — lighting towers, diesel generators and industrial air compressors. From a single Karratha depot in 2007 to one of the country's leading Bobcat materials handling and portable power dealers in under two decades.
The Lift Equipt Story
Lift Equipt was founded in 2007 in Karratha, Western Australia by Brett Johnston — a plant mechanic by trade who had worked on forklifts and heavy machinery from a very young age. Built to serve the booming Pilbara mining sector, the business was set up around one simple, uncompromising rule that still defines us today: the customer comes first, the machine must run, and we'll work 24 hours a day to make that happen.
In 2010 Lift Equipt opened its second branch in Perth, building out a dedicated heavy-machinery and port-equipment division. We won a major contract with Qube Logistics at the Port of Fremantle, supplying the full warehousing and intermodal port-handling fleet — a defining moment that proved the Lift Equipt model worked at the largest scale in Australian logistics.
In 2017 we expanded nationally into the East Coast — Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and beyond — building long-term partnerships with national organisations across logistics, construction, manufacturing and resources. We grew from a forklift specialist into full materials-handling and machinery experts, with technicians, sales and parts on the ground in every major Australian city.
In 2023 Lift Equipt was awarded the exclusive Australian distribution rights for Bobcat materials handling equipment — the full diesel, electric, LPG and warehouse forklift range up to 45 tonnes, plus reach stackers. In 2025 that relationship deepened again when we received the exclusive national rights to import the entire Bobcat Portable Power rangeinto Australia — lighting towers, diesel generators and industrial air compressors.
From a single workshop in Karratha to one of Australia's leading Bobcat materials handling and portable power dealers in under two decades — the philosophy hasn't changed. Same rule. Same answer when the phone rings at three in the morning. Customer first. Machine must run. 24 hours a day.
What We Stand For
Four principles, lived every day on every site, in every branch — from a 3am breakdown call in the Pilbara to a national fleet rollout in Melbourne.
Customer First
Every decision we make is driven by what's best for our customers. Your machine running on time is our mission.
Innovation
Home of LiftTrace — our in-house AI telematics platform that lives on the CAN-BUS of every machine, predicting failures before they happen.
Integrity
Honest, transparent business built on trust and long-term partnerships — many of our customers have stayed with us since 2007.
Community
Supporting our local workforce in every branch, and recognising the Ngarluma People as traditional custodians of the land we call home.
Our Vision
Australia's most dependable materials handling partner.
To be the most trusted name in Australian materials handling and portable power — the partner customers reach for first when the job has to get done.
Our Mission
The right machine, the right advice, on time, every time.
To equip Australian industry with the right Bobcat machine and the expertise to run it safely — saving our customers time, money and hassle, every single shift.
Lift Equipt by the Numbers
Our People
Local jobs. Local respect. Local pride.
Lift Equipt employs and trains locally in every branch — from our Karratha workshop to Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. We believe a strong local workforce underpins community spirit and lets the communities we work in thrive.
We recognise the Ngarluma People as the traditional custodians of the land on which Lift Equipt was founded, and pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging.
Authorised Australian Dealer
The Full Bobcat Range — Under One Roof
Lift Equipt is an authorised Australian dealer for the complete Bobcat materials handling and portable power range — sales, hire, service and parts, all from one trusted partner.
Bobcat materials handling
- Diesel forklifts — 1.5T to 45T plus reach stackers
- Electric 4-wheel forklifts — 1.5T to 16T
- Electric 3-wheel forklifts — 1.5T to 2.0T
- LPG forklifts — 1.5T to 7T
- Warehouse equipment — pallet trucks, stackers, reach trucks
- All-terrain forklifts — 2.5T to 7T
Bobcat Portable Power
- Diesel generators — 20kVA to 1550kVA, mine spec
- Synchronisable & 50°C rated for harsh conditions
- LED lighting towers — site, event, mining
- Industrial air compressors — portable & stationary
- Hybrid solar generators — up to 70% fuel saving
- 24/7 service, parts and breakdown support
Australia-Wide
Branches & Service Across Australia
On the ground in every major Australian capital — sales, hire, parts, service, 24/7 breakdown.
Perth Head Office
Unit 1/4 Sobek Pass
Bibra Lake WA 6163
Trading Hours
Mon – Fri: 7am – 4:30pm AWST
Karratha Office
1498 Lambert Rd
Karratha Industrial Estate WA 6714
Trading Hours
Mon – Fri: 7am – 4:30pm AWST
Melbourne Office
20 Bass Ct
Keysborough VIC 3173
Trading Hours
Mon – Fri: 8am – 5:00pm AEST
Call us anytime — Australia-wide
1300 44 44 22Ready to put Lift Equipt to work?
Whether you need a single forklift on hire tomorrow or a national equipment program — we'll have the right machine on the road, on time, with the parts and service to keep it running.