Three of every 10 forklifts supplied by KION Group in the first nine months of 2011 went to customers in emerging markets.

KION says its most significant emerging markets are Brazil, Russia, India and China. The group has been operating in China for almost two decades with its own Linde plant and has an extensive sales and service network. Since 2010, KION's Baoli brand has been serving markets outside China.

In São Paulo, Brazil, KION is establishing a 10,000 sqm (108,000 sqft.) plant for manufacturing internal combustion engine forklifts, with production scheduled to start next year. The existing 6,500 sqm (70,000 sqft.) Rio de Janeiro plant manufactures warehouse technology for Kion's STILL and Linde brands. KION spokesman Michael Hauger says the group bought the plant in 2001. The factory was built by Jungheinrich and its Brazilian partners about 40 years ago.

In Russia, STILL has strengthened its presence by opening a sales and service branch in St Petersburg that is currently staffed by about 12 employees. In September, Linde announced it is acquiring the businesses of its dealer Liftec in Russia, the Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Russia is Europe's fifth largest market for industrial trucks with more than 18,000 new forklifts sold in the first nine months of 2011.

Through this year's establishment of its India-based joint venture Voltas Material Handling Pvt Ltd, KION has gained access to the fast-growing Indian market.

According to KION's market intelligence, global demand for industrial trucks grew 28% to 740,000 units for the first nine months of 2011, compared to the corresponding period in 2010. Demand in Western Europe grew 32%, mainly driven by replacement investment.

The Chinese forklift market grew 27% and generated a total demand of almost 190,000 units. A quarter of forklifts worldwide are now sold to China. The Eastern European market grew 46% compared with the 2010 period, to about 41,000 units. Almost half the total demand came from Russia.

Linde (China) Forklift Truck moved to an expanded research & development centre at its Xiamen headquarters last month. The centre is staffed by about 130 employees.