The Orion LPE200.

A BT customer in Eastern Europe has received the Swedish forklift maker's 500,000th powered pallet truck, an Orion LPE200.

The unnamed customer was from Wincaton, Hungary.

BT made its first powered model at its Mjölby factory in 1958. According to a BT statement, it took the manufacturer 28 years to reach total production volume of 100,000 powered trucks and another nine years to reach 200,000.

The latest 100,000 trucks were produced in less than three years. Since 1993, the factory's output has jumped 12 per cent a year and productivity has increased from 19 trucks per employee to 33.

BT has invested a "substantial" amount to increase its factory's capacity to 60,000 powered trucks a year. BT spokesperson Elisabeth Herrnell said the company would not disclose the investment figure.

The investment includes increasing production space by 6,000 square metres, extending the special products division facility by 2,500 square metres, building a goods-in area to cope with increased supplier flow and new production equipment.

Herrnell said BT had two factories in Mjölby, 250km south of Stockholm. In October, Forkliftaction.com News reported BT had invested EUR4 million (USD5.29 million) in a plant that produces hand pallet trucks (Forkliftaction.com News #283). The latest investment is for another plant.