Hyster Forklift

Hyster is acknowledged as a international leader in forklift trucks. However, it began as a manufacturer of lifting machinery as well as winches. Most of its production was concentrated in the northwest United States and dealt mostly with the wood and logging industry. A couple years after the 1st forklift trucks were invented Hyster became synonymous with quality production. Over the preceding eighty years Hyster has continued to get bigger and develop its product line. The expansion of its products coupled with its desire to stay service oriented has allowed Hyster to mature into the international participant it is in the present day.

Hyster experienced major innovations through the 1940's and 1960's. In 1946, Hyster opened a plant in Danville, Illinois that was completely committed to bulk manufacturing trucks. This allowed Hyster to drive its costs 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.

Hyster, along with the whole forklift industry, continued to expand into different product lines throughout the 50's and 60's. They started building container handlers in the US in 1959 to satisfy the ever growing demand for transportation goods. In 1966, Hyster developed a process for enabling a lift truck to go both ahead 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 R and D centre in Oregon that was focused on improving 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 60's was characterized by rapid growth throughout the whole materials handling industry. Due to this, Hyster considered it necessary to refocus its approach towards these emergent mass markets. As a consequence, in 1970, the XL design philosophy was born. The XL design philosophy allowed Hyster to offer superior quality at a more affordable cost. A further expansion in manufacturing capabilities was necessitated by the need in Europe for Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles. To plug this hole, a plant in Craigavon, Ireland was opened in 1980. Through the eighties Hyster continued to focus on developing industry leading lift trucks. The Hyster company name was recognized throughout the world for its commitment towards superiority. This attention to excellence brought numerous suitors for the enterprise. In 1989, a large multinational corporation based in Ohio called NACCO Industries purchased Hyster and started an aggressive expansion plan. NACCO promptly changed the XL philosophy with a more driver oriented forklift that concentrated on operator comfort, which is recognized as the XM generation of trucks.

The changing requirements of Hyster's clientele, led by changes in supply chain management, required Hyster to constantly innovate and invest in new production technologies throughout the next few decades. 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 international leader in the forklift market. Recently, Hyster celebrated its 80th anniversary as an industry leader of materials handling equipment, which consists of more than three hundred different types of lift trucks.

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