Hyster Forklift

Hyster is globally recognized as an industry leader in the forklift producing business. However, it started as a producer of lifting machines and winches. Most of its production was focused in the Pacific Northwest and dealt mostly with the wood and logging industry. A couple years after the first forklift trucks were invented Hyster became synonymous with quality production. Over the previous 80 years Hyster has continued to expand and develop its product line. The expansion of its products coupled with its want to stay service oriented has allowed Hyster to mature into the worldwide participant it is in the present day.

In the period between 1940 and 1960, Hyster continued its growth throughout the western world. In 1946, Hyster opened a plant in Danville, Illinois that was totally devoted to bulk producing trucks. This allowed Hyster to force its costs down and, at the same time, offer a better quality product at industry aggressive rates. In 1952, Hyster began its first foray in to the international production market through opening its first plant in the Netherlands. The Netherlands plant was originally designed to produce two products: Hyster 40" and the Karry Kranes.

Hyster, along with the whole forklift industry, continued to expand into different product lines throughout the fifties and 60's. They started building container handlers in the US in 1959 to satisfy the ever expanding demand for transportation goods. In 1966, Hyster developed a system for enabling a lift truck to go both forward and backwards using the same pedal. This pedal was labeled the Monotrol pedal, which revolutionized the industry. Later in the decade Hyster opened a R and D centre in Oregon that was focused on enhancing the design and performance of forklifts. The centre is still one of the world's top testing facilities in the materials handling industry.

The 60's was characterized by rapid growth throughout the whole materials handling industry. Due to this, Hyster considered it necessary to refocus its approach towards these developing mass markets. Accordingly, in 1970, the XL design philosophy was born. The XL design philosophy allowed Hyster to afford greater quality at a more inexpensive price. A further expansion in production capabilities was necessitated by the need in Europe for Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles. To fill this gap, a plant in Craigavon, Ireland was opened in 1980. Through the 1980's Hyster continued to concentrate on developing industry leading forklifts. The Hyster brand name was known throughout the globe for its commitment towards excellence. This attention to excellence brought a lot of suitors for the enterprise. In 1989, a large international business based in Ohio called NACCO Industries bought Hyster and began an aggressive expansion strategy. NACCO rapidly changed the XL philosophy with a more driver oriented lift truck that concentrated on operator comfort, which is identified as the XM generation of lift trucks.

The shift in supply change management to a much more just-in-time focused approach has meant that Hyster has had to constantly make investments in brand new technologies. Acquisitions and investments were made in the United States, Italy, Netherlands, and numerous other places throughout the globe. All of these investments have made Hyster a world leader in the forklift market. Recently, Hyster celebrated its eightieth anniversary as an industry leader of materials handling equipment, which comprises more than three hundred assorted types of lift trucks.

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