Hyster Forklift

Hyster is an industry leader in the materials handling industry that has been in business for more than eighty years. However, it began as a producer of lifting machines and winches. Most of its production was concentrated in the Pacific Northwest and dealt primarily with the lumber and logging industry. A couple years after the 1st forklift trucks were invented Hyster became synonymous with quality production. Over the previous eighty years Hyster has continued to expand and develop its product line. The expansion of its products coupled with its desire to stay service oriented has allowed Hyster to grow into the global player it is nowadays.

Through the three decades between the 1940's and 1960's, Hyster made substantial strides on its path to becoming the global leader in the forklift industry it is nowadays. In 1946, Hyster opened a plant in Illinois that was exclusively devoted to mass manufacturing trucks. This allowed Hyster to drive its expenses down and, simultaneously, offer a better quality product at industry aggressive 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.

Hyster, along with the whole forklift industry, continued to expand into different product lines throughout the fifties and 60's. They began constructing container handlers in the United states in 1959 to satisfy the ever growing demand for transportation goods. In 1966, Hyster developed a means for allowing a lift truck to go both forward and backwards using the same pedal. This pedal was known as the Monotrol pedal, which revolutionized the industry. Later on in the decade Hyster opened a research and development centre in Oregon that was focused on enhancing the design and functionality of forklifts. 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 throughout the entire materials handling industry. Due to this, Hyster needed to refocus its strategy towards these developing mass markets. As a consequence, in 1970, the XL design philosophy was born. The XL design philosophy allowed Hyster to provide superior quality at a more inexpensive price. A further expansion in manufacturing capabilities was necessitated by the need in Europe for Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles. To fill 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 company name was recognized throughout the globe for its dedication towards superiority. This attention to quality produced a lot of suitors for the enterprise. In 1989, a large multinational business based in Ohio called NACCO Industries purchased Hyster and started an aggressive expansion plan. NACCO rapidly replaced the XL philosophy with a more driver oriented lift truck that focused 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 approach has meant that Hyster has had to frequently invest in brand new technologies. Acquisitions and investments were made in the US, Italy, Netherlands, and numerous other places throughout the world. All of these investments have made Hyster a world leader in the lift truck market. In 2009, Hyster celebrated its eightieth anniversary as an industry leader of materials handling equipment, which comprises more than three hundred different styles of lift trucks.

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