Forklift manufacturer Automoviles Utilitarios SA (Ausa) is forging ahead in its chosen markets.

Ausa is currently shipping 42 CHV 20 forklifts to Venezuela's Ministry of Defence, a move that Ausa South America delegate Stefano Calcara said consolidated Ausa in a market with "interesting prospects".

Venezuelan construction and industrial customers have traditionally bought more dumpers than forklifts, but demand has grown for machines capable of meeting manoeuvrability, work speed and "rough-terrain capabilities", Mr Calcara says.

In Japan, Ausa's distributor Ken Ohno, general manager of Toyo Enterprises, believes Ausa's introduction of the four-wheel-drive CH 200/250 rough-terrain forklifts in Japan this year will be "a milestone". The introduction date is unknown.

Ausa export manager Claudio Hoyos says the company's Belgium distributor, Matermaco, is building Ausa's market share rapidly, with 2001 sales figures surpassing expectations.

Mr Hoyos said CH200/250 forklifts were the top sellers for Ausa in Belgium, because the design and technology adapted well to industrial applications. Those qualities had allowed Ausa "to fill market niches and gain a larger share in traditional marketplaces" throughout the European Union.