Forklift News - BT INDUSTRIES EXPANDS PAYROLL TO MATCH GROWING ORDER BOOK

MJOLBY, Sweden -- BT Industries is recruiting 150 people at its Mjolby factory in Sweden over the next year to "meet current and anticipated demand for warehouse trucks", the company said.

The growing market for lift trucks, and the successful launches of new products, were seeing BT's strong sales continue, said BT Products AB president Hakan Schill. He said the company's merger, in June this year, with Toyoda Automatic Loom Works (TAL) also would increase sales. TAL acquired 97% of BT for an undisclosed sum.

BT is implementing a US$10 million investment program at its Swedish factory to raise production capacity by 40%. The program includes building a new, larger paint shop and introducing new production techniques and more efficient assembly methods.

Mr Schill said half the new recruits were required "straight away ... despite the fact that 70 people have already been hired this year alone".

He said BT planned to replace temporary employees with full-time workers, and "increase the total staff to a level that corresponds with the production increases we are now planning for".

BT launched two new walkie product lines in the Orion and Minimover ranges late in October.

There are four Orion models in the new range, from 1800kg capacity to a 2400kg truck, purpose-built for heavy duty applications or long distances. The Orion can travel at up to 12km per hour.

The other new product, the Minimover, is a small, low-cost electric truck designed for horizontal pallet movement in lighter applications. Compact, light and easy to manoeuvre, the Minimover has a 1300kg rated capacity, BT said.

BT Industries has been in the truck industry for more than 50 years. It has more than 7000 employees, and last year sold more than 50,000 warehouse trucks and more than 130,000 pallet trucks.

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