After almost two decades as editor, I am retiring from the weekly newsletter. However, I will continue to be a part of the Forkliftaction team, as editor-at-large, a role which will see me representing the company at conferences and trade shows, and undertaking special assignments.

I came to Forkliftaction News with a broad background in business journalism and have enjoyed learning about one of the most vital industries around.

While materials handling is, of course, unique, it exists within business ecosystems and follows many of the trends I had been reporting for more than 20 years.

The industry continues to be shaped by consolidation and over the years, I have reported on a significant number of mergers and acquisitions – on the manufacturing side, at dealer level and even among associations. While there are always concerns about the impact of consolidation on competition, there’s no doubt that the market is as competitive as ever, with bigger groups going head to head for marketshare and financial advantage. Consolidation has also provided the critical mass to drive innovation, and we continue to see new products and wider functionality.

In product terms, the biggest changes I have witnessed during my time at Forkliftaction are the move to electric machines and the rise of automation. Both of these trends are presenting challenges to traditional IC forklift makers, but the huge global appetite for machines means that petrol, diesel and LPG equipment is not yet a spent force and will be around for some time to come.

Automation has become mainstream, and the explosion of AGVs and AMRs is overwhelming, as I recently witnessed at LogiMAT in Stuttgart - so much so that experts predict that the market is overdue a shake-up, with too many suppliers producing ‘commodity’ offerings in a market looking for unique solutions. 

While big companies get most of the attention in the logistics and materials handling media, I believe one of our biggest achievements has been shedding light on smaller players, be it niche manufacturers or individual dealers who have made a difference, and end-users finding unique solutions. But one story that stands out for me was a Canadian manufacturer which continued to take orders from dealers and buy goods from suppliers when it was clear that no business was being conducted. While others ignored it, I pursued this story on behalf of readers who were being burned and would like to think that Forkliftaction News played a key part in getting the business wound up before more people could get hurt.

I believe people are the heart of any industry and while much of our focus is on equipment, I have tried to highlight personalities – be it through the Getting to Know ... features I initiated to introduce new appointees to their markets, or the inclusion of obituaries and tributes to those no longer with us.

It’s always a delight walking the floors at trade shows and industry events and putting faces to the names we write about. That’s why I hope to continue attending industry gatherings and maintaining the relationships with some wonderful people.

On that note, I often reflect on my first trade show with this publication – CeMAT in Hannover in 2016. What an introduction that was! It was one of the largest gatherings of industry professionals from around the world, and I got to share it with almost the entire FLA team.

Since then, I have attended shows in North America, China, the UK and other parts of Germany and while covering them was a huge task, with interviews every half hour and days spent writing up reports, it has been immensely satisfying.

Part of that satisfaction comes from the support and encouragement of my Forkliftaction colleagues, and I’d like to thank them for the opportunities they have provided, the guidance they shared and the appreciation they have shown for my efforts over the years.

I am confident that my colleagues will make my successor, Barbara Adam, feel equally welcome and assist her just as they helped me.

I know she is well equipped for the editor’s role and wish her every success going forward.

I’d like to end by thanking all my industry colleagues for the help and support over the years. I’m especially thankful to have met so many of you over the years and hope to remain in touch in my new role.

And thanks also to our readers who open our emails each week, read our stories and regularly reach out with messages of support, appreciation – and the occasional contrary opinion.

So, while it’s farewell as editor, it’s not goodbye. As our German colleagues say: Auf Wiedersehen.