Hyster Forklift

Hyster Forklift Training Whitby - Hyster is known as a international leader in lift trucks. However, it started as a producer of lifting machines and winches. Most of its production was focused in the Pacific Northwest and dealt primarily with the wood and logging industry. A couple years after the 1st forklift trucks were invented Hyster became synonymous with quality manufacturing. Over the preceding 80 years Hyster has continued to expand and develop its product line. The growth of its products coupled with its want to stay service oriented has allowed Hyster to grow into the worldwide player it is nowadays.

In the period between 1940 and 1960, Hyster sustained its development throughout the western world. In 1946, Hyster opened a plant in Illinois that was exclusively committed to mass manufacturing trucks. This allowed Hyster to drive its expenses down and, simultaneously, 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 50's through the 1960's, Hyster continued to expand into new markets. They started building container handlers in the US in 1959 to satisfy the ever expanding demand for transportation goods. In 1966, Hyster developed a technique for allowing a lift truck to go both ahead and backwards using the same pedal. This pedal was termed the Monotrol pedal, which revolutionized the industry. Later in the decade Hyster opened a R&D centre in Oregon that was concentrated on improving the design and performance of forklifts. The centre is still one of the world's best testing facilities in the materials handling industry.

The sixties 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 supply superior quality at a more inexpensive price. A further expansion in manufacturing capabilities was necessitated by the demand in Europe for Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles. To plug this gap, a plant in Craigavon, Ireland was opened in 1980. Through the eighties Hyster continued to focus on developing industry leading lift trucks. The Hyster brand name was recognized throughout the world for its commitment towards superiority. This attention to quality brought many suitors for the company. In 1989, a large multinational company based in Ohio called NACCO Industries purchased Hyster and began an aggressive expansion plan. NACCO rapidly replaced the XL philosophy with a more driver oriented forklift that focused on operator comfort, which is identified as the XM generation of forklifts.

The changing requirements of Hyster's consumers, led by changes in supply chain management, required Hyster to constantly innovate and invest in new production systems during the next few decades. Acquisitions and investments were made in the United States, Italy, Netherlands, and various other places throughout the globe. All of these investments have made Hyster a worldwide leader in the lift truck market. In 2009, Hyster celebrated its eightieth anniversary as an industry leader of materials handling equipment, which includes over three hundred assorted types of forklift trucks.

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