A new Nikkei survey has ranked Toyota as the number one player in the Japanese forklift market, with a 42.6% share of domestic sales in 2003.
Toyota's dominant share increased 1.4% in 2003, thanks to "overwhelming marketing power and brand recognition", the survey said.
Toyota had logged its fifth consecutive record sales year, driven by sales of its Geneo-E three-wheeled electric forklift introduced in January, 2003.
The Nikkei survey said Toyota and Komatsu had increased their market shares through product upgrades, tie-ups with overseas partners and the well-timed introduction of new products.
Komatsu was ranked second in the Japanese market with a 20% share, up 1.2% as a result of increased sales and a new series of Linde-supplied small forklifts.
Third-ranked Nippon Yusoki (Nichiyu), which specialises in electric machines, lost 2.7% to hold 9.7% of the market.
TCM jumped from fifth to fourth place with a 0.2% share increase, surpassing Nissan, which was ranked fifth with a 7.7% share, down 0.4%.
Japanese manufacturers sold 68,449 forklifts in the domestic market in 2003, up 3.9% on 2002, the survey said.
Engine-powered forklifts grew 4.4%, accounting for 38,252 sales, while battery-electric machines rose 3.2% to 30,197.
Meanwhile, Toyota has announced it will increase its sales staff and production of forklifts at its overseas plants.
The company said it expected overseas sales volume to increase to a record 60,000 units this year.
In the USA, the company intends to produce more than 26,000 forklifts, up 15%; Europe was expected to experience a sales increase of 10% to 20,000 units; and in Asia, the company expected a 30% rise to 6,000 units.
Toyota's materials handling sector reported net sales of JPY115.1 billion (USD1.042 billion) for the quarter ended March 31.
|
CURRENT NEWS
|
