Hyster Forklift

Hyster is globally recognized as an industry leader in the lift truck manufacturing business. However, it started as a manufacturer of lifting machinery and 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 first forklift trucks were invented Hyster became synonymous with quality production. Over the last 80 years Hyster has continued to expand and grow its product line. The expansion of its products coupled with its desire to stay service oriented has allowed Hyster to develop into the global player it is nowadays.

In the period between 1940 and 1960, Hyster continued its progress throughout the western world. In 1946, Hyster opened a plant in Illinois that was entirely devoted to mass producing trucks. This allowed Hyster to force 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 production operations throughout the 1950's and 60's. They started building container handlers in the United states 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 ahead and backwards using the same pedal. This pedal was referred to as the Monotrol pedal, which revolutionized the industry. Later on 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 best testing facilities in the materials handling industry.

The 1960's was characterized by rapid growth right through the entire materials handling industry. Due to this, Hyster needed to refocus its strategy towards these growing mass markets. Accordingly, in 1970, the XL design philosophy was born. The XL design philosophy allowed Hyster to afford greater 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 hole, a plant in Craigavon, Ireland was opened in 1980. Through the 1980's Hyster continued to focus on developing industry leading forklifts. The Hyster brand name was recognized throughout the world for its commitment towards quality. This attention to excellence produced many suitors for the enterprise. In 1989, a large multinational business based in Ohio called NACCO Industries purchased Hyster and began an aggressive expansion strategy. NACCO swiftly replaced the XL philosophy with a more driver oriented forklift that focused on operator comfort, which is well-known as the XM generation of trucks.

The shift in supply change management to a much more just-in-time focused approach has meant that Hyster has had to continually make investments in new technologies. Acquisitions and investments were made in the United States, Italy, Netherlands, and many other places all over the globe. All of these investments have made Hyster a international leader in the forklift market. In 2009, Hyster celebrated its eightieth anniversary as an industry leader of materials handling equipment, which includes more than 300 various models of lift trucks.

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