Hyster Forklift

Hyster is globally renowned as an industry leader in the lift truck manufacturing business. However, it began as a producer of lifting machinery and 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 production. Over the last 80 years Hyster has continued to get bigger and develop its product line. The growth of its products coupled with its wish to stay service oriented has allowed Hyster to grow into the global participant it is today.

Through the 3 decades between the 1940's and 1960's, Hyster made considerable strides on its path to becoming the worldwide leader in the forklift industry it is at the moment. In 1946, Hyster opened a plant in Danville, Illinois that was entirely dedicated to mass manufacturing trucks. This allowed Hyster to force its expenses down and, simultaneously, 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 continued to aggressively expand its manufacturing operations throughout the 50's and 60's. They started constructing container handlers in the US in 1959 to meet with the ever growing 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 called the Monotrol pedal, which revolutionized the industry. Later in the decade Hyster opened a research and development centre in Oregon that was concentrated on enhancing the design and performance of lift trucks. The centre is still one of the world's greatest testing facilities in the materials handling industry.

The 1960's was characterized by rapid growth right through the whole materials handling industry. Due to this, Hyster needed to refocus its approach towards these developing mass markets. Consequently, in 1970, the XL design philosophy was born. The XL design philosophy allowed Hyster to afford superior quality at a more inexpensive price. A further expansion in manufacturing capabilities was necessitated by the need 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 concentrate on developing industry leading forklifts. The Hyster brand name was known throughout the globe for its commitment towards superiority. This attention to quality brought a lot of suitors for the business. In 1989, a large international corporation based in Ohio called NACCO Industries purchased Hyster and started an aggressive expansion plan. NACCO quickly replaced the XL philosophy with a more driver oriented truck that concentrated on operator comfort, which is identified 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 invest in brand new technology. Acquisitions and investments were made in the US, Italy, Netherlands, and countless other places throughout the world. All of these investments have made Hyster a world leader in the lift truck market. Recently, Hyster celebrated its eightieth anniversary as an industry leader of materials handling equipment, which includes more than 300 assorted models of forklift trucks.

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