Hyster Forklift

Hyster is a global company that builds greater than 300 distinct models of lift trucks. However, it began as a manufacturer of lifting equipment and winches. Most of its production was concentrated in the Pacific Northwest and dealt primarily with the timber and logging industry. A couple years after the 1st forklift trucks were invented Hyster became synonymous with quality production. Over the preceding eighty years Hyster has continued to get bigger and increase its product line. The growth of its products coupled with its wish to stay service oriented has allowed Hyster to mature into the global participant it is in the present day.

Hyster experienced major improvements through the 1940's and 1960's. In 1946, Hyster opened a plant in Illinois that was fully dedicated to mass producing trucks. This allowed Hyster to drive its expenses 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.

Between the late 1950's through the 1960's, Hyster continued to expand into new markets. They started constructing container handlers in the United states in 1959 to meet with the ever expanding demand for transportation goods. In 1966, Hyster developed a system for allowing a lift truck to go both ahead and backwards using the same pedal. This pedal was labeled as the Monotrol pedal, which revolutionized the industry. Later on in the decade Hyster opened a R&D centre in Oregon that was focused on enhancing the design and functionality of forklifts. The centre is still one of the world's best testing facilities in the materials handling industry.

As demand for materials handling equipment continued to expand swiftly through the 1960's, Hyster considered it necessary to reorient its focus towards these new mass markets. As a consequence, in 1970, the XL design philosophy was born. The XL design philosophy allowed Hyster to supply superior quality at a more inexpensive price. A further expansion in production capabilities was necessitated by the demand in Europe for Internal Combustion Engine Trucks. 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 recognized throughout the world for its dedication towards superiority. This attention to excellence produced a lot of suitors for the enterprise. In 1989, a large multinational business based in Ohio called NACCO Industries bought Hyster and began an aggressive growth strategy. NACCO promptly replaced the XL philosophy with a more driver oriented lift truck that focused on operator comfort, which is well-known as the XM generation of forklifts.

With the overall change towards just-in-time management methods, Hyster has been required to keep up with the trends through investment in new and diverse technologies. Acquisitions and investments were made in the United States, Italy, Netherlands, and various other places all over the world. All of these investments have made Hyster a global leader in the forklift market. Recently, Hyster celebrated its eightieth anniversary as an industry leader of materials handling equipment, which comprises over three hundred various versions of lift trucks.

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