Hyster Forklift

Hyster Forklift Training Kitchener - Hyster is recognized as a global leader in lift trucks. However, it began as a manufacturer of lifting equipment and winches. Most of its production was focused in the Pacific Northwest 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 increase its product line. The growth of its products coupled with its want to stay service oriented has allowed Hyster to grow into the international player it is in our day.

Some of the key inflection points in Hyster's past occurred between the 1940's and the 1960's. In 1946, Hyster opened a plant in Illinois that was entirely dedicated 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.

The constantly varying needs of Hyster consumers and Hyster's capacity to continue to innovate led to rapid development throughout the fifties and sixties. They started constructing container handlers in the US in 1959 to meet with the ever growing demand for transportation goods. In 1966, Hyster developed a means for allowing 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 in the decade Hyster opened a R&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 top 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 offer superior quality at a more affordable price. A further expansion in production capabilities was necessitated by the need in Europe for Internal Combustion Engine Trucks. 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 forklifts. The Hyster company name was recognized throughout the world for its dedication towards quality. This attention to excellence produced several suitors for the business. In 1989, a large multinational corporation based in Ohio called NACCO Industries purchased Hyster and began an aggressive growth plan. NACCO rapidly replaced the XL philosophy with a more driver oriented truck that focused on operator comfort, which is identified as the XM generation of lift trucks.

The changing requirements of Hyster's clientele, led by changes in supply chain management, required Hyster to continuously innovate and invest in modern manufacturing technology throughout the next few decades. Acquisitions and investments were made in the United States, Italy, Netherlands, and a lot of other places throughout the world. 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 consists of over three hundred various types of forklift trucks.

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