Hyster Forklift

Hyster is presently a world leader in forklifts as well as warehousing solutions. However, it began as a producer of lifting machinery as well as winches. Most of its production was concentrated in the Pacific Northwest and dealt mostly with the wood and logging industry. A couple years after the 1st forklift trucks were invented Hyster became synonymous with quality production. Over the last eighty years Hyster has continued to get bigger and grow its product line. The growth of its products coupled with its desire to stay service oriented has allowed Hyster to mature into the intercontinental participant it is nowadays.

Some of the most important inflection points in Hyster's past occurred between the 1940's and the 1960's. In 1946, Hyster opened a plant in Illinois that was exclusively dedicated to bulk producing trucks. This allowed Hyster to drive its expenses down and, at the same time, 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 continued to aggressively expand its manufacturing operations all the way through the 1950's and 60's. They started building container handlers in the US in 1959 to satisfy the ever growing demand for transportation goods. In 1966, Hyster developed a method for allowing a lift truck to go both forward and backwards using the same pedal. This pedal was referred to as 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 1960's was characterized by rapid growth throughout the whole materials handling industry. Due to this, Hyster needed to refocus its strategy towards these developing mass markets. As a result, in 1970, the XL design philosophy was born. The XL design philosophy allowed Hyster to supply better quality at a more inexpensive cost. A further expansion in production capabilities was necessitated by the demand in Europe for Internal Combustion Engine Trucks. To fill this gap, a plant in Craigavon, Ireland was opened in 1980. Through the 80's Hyster continued to focus on developing industry leading lift trucks. The Hyster brand name was known throughout the globe for its commitment towards excellence. This attention to quality brought a lot of suitors for the company. In 1989, a large multinational business based in Ohio called NACCO Industries bought Hyster and began an aggressive growth strategy. NACCO quickly changed the XL philosophy with a more driver oriented lift truck that concentrated on operator comfort, which is known as the XM generation of trucks.

The changing needs of Hyster's clientele, led by changes in supply chain management, required Hyster to continuously innovate and invest in new manufacturing systems throughout the next few decades. Acquisitions and investments were made in the United States, Italy, Netherlands, and countless other places throughout the globe. All of these investments have made Hyster a global leader in the lift truck market. In 2009, Hyster celebrated its 80th anniversary as an industry leader of materials handling equipment, which comprises more than 300 different models of forklift trucks.

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