Hyster Forklift

As a global leader in forklift trucks, Hyster constantly strives for excellence in product quality and safety. However, it started as a producer of lifting equipment and winches. Most of its production was focused in the northwest United States 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 previous 80 years Hyster has continued to expand 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 worldwide player it is at the moment.

The thirty years between 1940's and the 1960's saw a enormous evolution in the number of products existing under the Hyster brand name. In 1946, Hyster opened a plant in Danville, Illinois that was fully committed 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 prices. 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 60's, Hyster continued to expand into new markets. They began constructing container handlers in the US in 1959 to meet with the ever growing demand for transportation goods. In 1966, Hyster developed a method for enabling 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 concentrated on enhancing the design and functionality of lift trucks. The centre is still one of the world's best testing facilities in the materials handling industry.

In the 1960's Hyster experienced rapid expansion. Much of the industry was shifting in the direction of bulk manufacturing. To keep up with the times Hyster was inclined to concentrate on the evolution of these mass markets. Consequently, in 1970, the XL design philosophy was born. The XL design philosophy allowed Hyster to afford greater quality at a more affordable price. A further expansion in manufacturing capabilities was necessitated by the demand in Europe for Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles. To plug this hole, a plant in Craigavon, Ireland was opened in 1980. Through the 1980's Hyster continued to focus on developing industry leading lift trucks. The Hyster brand name was known throughout the globe for its dedication towards excellence. This attention to quality produced several suitors for the company. In 1989, a large multinational company based in Ohio called NACCO Industries bought Hyster and started an aggressive expansion strategy. NACCO rapidly replaced the XL philosophy with a more driver oriented lift truck that focused on operator comfort, which is recognized as the XM generation of forklifts.

With the global shift towards just-in-time administration practices, Hyster has been required to keep up with the trends through investment in new and diverse technologies. Acquisitions and investments were made in the US, Italy, Netherlands, and various other places throughout the globe. All of these investments have made Hyster a worldwide leader in the forklift market. In 2009, Hyster celebrated its 80th anniversary as an industry leader of materials handling equipment, which comprises over three hundred different models of lift trucks.

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