 Ann Hofmans |
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This week marks the 400th newsletter from Forkliftaction.com, the global industry portal for the forklift sector.
The first newsletter was emailed on July 7, 2000 to 50 subscribers, carrying just three stories – one of them about the launch of the newsletter.
The big news back then was Crown winning two design awards in the USA and Clark Equipment Australia Pty Ltd clinching a deal to distribute Fantuzzi heavy forklifts in the Asia Pacific region.
The newsletter has grown significantly since that humble offering, and most editions include 20 or more stories and reach a global audience of more than 150,000 industry professionals.
Besides industry news, coverage of dealer developments and end-user stories, the newsletter has featured personal profiles of many industry leaders. Regular columns include "Safety First", written by leading trainers and safety consultants in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia.
"One of the most popular additions to the newsletter has been our monthly feature," says general manager Ann Hofmans. "These features look in depth at different geographic markets, industry sectors or product categories and we have assembled some leading-edge information which is now available in our extensive archive."
Forkliftaction.com News is part of a comprehensive internet offering for the forklift sector, conceived in 1999 by Australian industry veteran Michael Leu. Frustrated by the lack of information resources for the forklift sector, Leu set about building an industry portal (www.forkliftaction.com) which, besides news, contained listings of equipment for sale, a global business directory, forklift specifications guide, recruitment advertising, an active discussion forum and general industry resources for a fast-growing market.
Among the newsletter highlights, Hofmans identifies the launch of an Australian edition in 2006 and the appointment of US bureau chief Roger Renstrom.
"Roger is a respected business writer with extensive experience in and contact with the materials handling sector in the US, and he forms a key part of our next step, the launch of a dedicated US edition," she explains.
Forkliftaction.com News editor Allan Leibowitz says the weekly newsletter regularly breaks significant industry news and the editorial independence ensures high levels of trust in the industry.
"Often, industry newsletters are simply collections of media releases and ‘puff pieces’ on advertisers," he explains, "but our journalists report independently on industry developments – good and bad."
Leibowitz cites the current spate of retrenchments in the global forklift manufacturing sector, saying the newsletter hears about sacking directly from those affected through its active Discussion Forums. "This has alerted us to a number of big stories in the past few weeks," he says, adding that editorial staff always attempt to provide balanced reports, including the official company response as well.
Forkliftaction.com is based in Brisbane, Australia, but because of its web foundation, the business has been truly global from birth.
Leu’s decision to form an internet-based business and email newsletter after the burst of the "tech bubble" has been vindicated by its rapid growth.
With more than 42,000 members around the world, the forklift website enjoys more than 4 million page views per month, making it attractive for industry suppliers, according to Hofmans.
With 400 editions under their belt, the Forkliftaction.com team is not resting on its laurels.
"We have just completed a systems revamp and are working on continuous enhancements to the website and the newsletter," she says.
The next development will be the launch of a second "regional" edition. A North American edition will be added to augment the Australasian version, to be followed later by a European edition.
Hofmans says the team is also working on new customisation options which will deliver tailor-made content to subscribers reflecting their geographic location, market segment and interests.
To read a message from Forkliftaction.com's founder, click here.
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