Hyster Forklift

Hyster is globally acknowledged as an industry leader in the forklift manufacturing business. However, it began as a manufacturer of lifting machinery as well as winches. Most of its production was concentrated in the Pacific Northwest and dealt mostly with the timber and logging industry. A couple years after the 1st forklift trucks were invented Hyster became synonymous with quality manufacturing. Over the previous 80 years Hyster has continued to expand and grow its product line. The growth of its products coupled with its want to stay service oriented has allowed Hyster to mature into the worldwide player it is today.

In the period between 1940 and 1960, Hyster sustained its growth throughout the western world. In 1946, Hyster opened a plant in Illinois that was completely devoted to bulk manufacturing trucks. This allowed Hyster to drive its costs down and, simultaneously, offer a better quality product at industry competitive 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 entire forklift industry, continued to spread out into different product lines throughout the 50's and 60's. They began building container handlers in the United states in 1959 to meet with the ever growing demand for transportation goods. In 1966, Hyster developed a process for enabling a lift truck to go both ahead and backwards using the same pedal. This pedal was called the Monotrol pedal, which revolutionized the industry. Later in the decade Hyster opened a R and D centre in Oregon that was focused on improving the design and functionality of forklifts. The centre is still one of the world's best 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 growing mass markets. Consequently, in 1970, the XL design philosophy was born. The XL design philosophy allowed Hyster to offer better quality at a more reasonable cost. A further expansion in manufacturing capabilities was necessitated by the need in Europe for Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles. To plug this gap, a plant in Craigavon, Ireland was opened in 1980. Through the 1980's Hyster continued to concentrate on developing industry leading lift trucks. The Hyster brand name was known throughout the globe for its commitment towards excellence. This attention to excellence brought numerous suitors for the business. In 1989, a large multinational business based in Ohio called NACCO Industries bought Hyster and began an aggressive expansion strategy. NACCO promptly replaced the XL philosophy with a more driver oriented forklift that concentrated on operator comfort, which is well-known as the XM generation of forklifts.

The shift in supply change management to a much more just-in-time focused structure has meant that Hyster has had to constantly make investments in new technologies. Acquisitions and investments were made in the United States, Italy, Netherlands, and various other places all over 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 over three hundred assorted styles of forklift trucks.

Click to Download the pdf