ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS – An employee for Rockford’s Fitzgerald Equipment will get to experience VIP treatment at this year’s Kentucky Derby courtesy of Yale Materials Handling Corp.

Yale is a nearly 140-year-old maker of forklifts and other materials handling products for customers worldwide. Fitzgerald is the exclusive Yale dealer for the Rockford area.

Yale awarded the top dealers in three regions in branded parts sales growth with all-expenses-paid trips for two to this year’s Kentucky Derby in Louisville. The race takes place Saturday, May 4.

Fitzgerald was the top Yale dealer in growing its branded parts sales in Yale’s west division. Yale has more than 150 dealers across the world.

The annual “Run for the Roses” is the first of horse racing’s Triple Crown and annually draws about 150,000 attendees.

Rockford-based Fitzgerald has locations on Boeing Drive and in Mackinaw. The company also offers Big Joe Forklift Trucks, Interthor Hydraulic Hand Pallet Jacks, Cascade Fork Lift truck attachments, Nilfisk-Advance sweepers/scrubbers and Taylor Dunn Personnel maintenance vehicles.