Nissan Motor Co Ltd will spin off its forklift division in two months' time to implement a flexible management system that will help the division cope with the "challenging forklift environment".

Nissan spokesman Mitsuru Yonekawa tells Forkliftaction.com News that the spin-off, which has been many months in preparation, is aimed at positioning the forklift business for sustainable growth and "establishing an independent entity with clear responsibilities".

Most of the division's 2,500 employees will be transferred to the new company, Nissan Forklift Co Ltd, in Yohohama-shi, Kanagawa. Division manager Akira Shiki will be the president of the company, which has a capital of JPY495 million (USD5.791 million).

"Employees will either be transferred or seconded, depending on the individual's rank and responsibilities. [Employing more] staff depends on our business expansion in the middle and long term," Yonekawa says.

Asked how Nissan's forklift business had coped with the challenges of the global recession, Yonekawa says the company "is trying and working hard to recover" and that "it keeps going".

The spin-off takes effect on 1 October.

Nissan flagged the move in May (Forkliftaction.com News #462). Consolidated sales for the forklift division for the year ended 31 March 2010 totaled JPY61.3 billion (USD710.6 million).