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 Hyster is presently a world leader in lift trucks as well as warehousing solutions. However, it started as a manufacturer of lifting equipment and winches. Most of its production was concentrated in the northwest United States and dealt primarily with the timber 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 increase its product line. The growth of its products coupled with its desire to stay service oriented has allowed Hyster to develop into the international player it is in our day.
The thirty years between 1940's and the 1960's saw a large evolution in the amount of products offered under the Hyster brand name. In 1946, Hyster opened a plant in Illinois that was totally committed to mass producing trucks. This allowed Hyster to drive its costs down and, at the same time, 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.
1950-1970
Hyster, along with the whole forklift industry, continued to expand into different product lines throughout the 1950's and 60's. They started building 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 forward 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 R and D centre in Oregon that was focused on improving the design and functionality of forklifts. The centre is still one of the world's best testing facilities in the materials handling industry.
1970-1980
As demand for materials handling equipment continued to expand swiftly during the 60's, Hyster considered it necessary to reorient its concentration towards these new mass markets. Hence, in 1970, the XL design philosophy was born. The XL design philosophy allowed Hyster to afford greater quality at a more inexpensive cost. A further expansion in production capabilities was necessitated by the demand 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 concentrate on developing industry leading lift trucks. The Hyster brand name was known throughout the globe for its dedication towards superiority. This attention to quality brought several suitors for the business. In 1989, a large international company based in Ohio called NACCO Industries bought Hyster and began an aggressive growth plan. NACCO promptly changed the XL philosophy with a more driver oriented forklift that focused on operator comfort, which is recognized as the XM generation of lift trucks.
1990-Today
With the global change towards just-in-time administration procedures, Hyster has been required to keep up with the trends through investment in new and diverse 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 global leader in the lift truck market. Recently, Hyster celebrated its 80th anniversary as an industry leader of materials handling equipment, which includes more than three hundred various versions of lift trucks.
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