Modern Group Ltd will focus on its forklift business and collaborate in strengthening Trico Lift's aerial-lift-platform business under a strategic alliance disclosed this week.

"We look to grow our forklift business," says Dave Griffith, president and chief executive officer of Bristol-based Modern Group. "We will sell a portion of our aerial lift assets and a location in Baltimore (Maryland), and Trico will collocate in (two of) our (existing) locations in King of Prussia and Allentown," Pennsylvania.

"We are acquiring a portion of their aerial work platform business and increasing our fleet size to 4,000 units," says Ken Pustizzi, president and CEO of Trico Lift, the trading identity for Millville, New Jersey-based Trico Equipment Inc. "They will split up" space in the two Pennsylvania locations to reflect the dual forklift and aerial platform uses.

The principals began discussions in October and expect to agree on the final details before the start of 2011.

"The arrangement with Modern enables both companies to remain focused on their core competencies and creates an even stronger opportunity for both organisations to grow in our common target markets," Pustizzi says. "However, the most important benefit will be the opportunities the partnership will bring to our employees, our customers and our future customers."

Griffith comments: "We admire Trico Lift as a market leader whose customer focus is aligned with Modern's. The agreement to collocate in King of Prussia and Allentown is an innovative alliance and will allow us both to better serve our customers."

Modern represents the Hyster brand through 15 branches in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Delaware and employs more than 350 people. In addition, Modern handles the Lull and Terex lines of telehandlers.

"From a customer perspective, the aerial fleet now with Modern will be with Trico" with representation in the two locations by the same salespeople, Griffith indicates.

Modern experienced growth in the parts and service portion of its business in 2010. "Parts were up 7.5 % in absolute terms," Griffith reports. He withheld other financial details.

The Modern Group traces its roots to 1946 when the Modern Handling Equipment Co was formed to sell Hyster forklifts. The limited holding company was established in 1979 for all of the venture's dealerships and rental companies. Ownership was converted into an employee-stock-ownership-plan trust in 1984.

Trico Lift represents the Genie brand of aerial platforms and also handles the JLG, MEC and Snorkel lines.

Trico has branch locations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and─in a recent long-distance regional expansion with two sites─Texas.

Trico Lift specialises in the rentals, sales, leasing and servicing of aerial lifts with its fleet made up primarily of boom lifts, scissor lifts and telescopic forklifts. The fleet has been ranked the 14th largest in North America and among the top 50 access fleets in the world.