Forklift sales worldwide were stronger in 2004 than 2003, says Modern Materials Handling magazine's report on the world's top 20 forklift suppliers.

The top five on the list (Toyota, Linde, Jungheinrich, Nacco Industries and Mitsubishi/Caterpillar) collectively increased sales by USD1.75 billion last year.

Toyota maintained its number one ranking with a USD660 million increase in revenue to USD4.89 billion. Meanwhile Linde increased revenue by 16.3 per cent, or USD631 million to USD4.49 billion, maintaining second place.

Jungheinrich was third ranked with USD2.07 billion in total revenue, Nacco Industries was fourth at USD1.9 billion and Mitsubishi/Cat edged out last year's fifth rank holder, Crown, with USD1.3 billion.

To be eligible for the survey, companies must manufacture and sell forklifts in at least one of the Industrial Truck Association's seven classes of forklifts. Rankings are based on revenue for each company's fiscal year.

Modern reported that forklift orders increased 17 per cent to more than 704,000 units in 2004, compared to around 600,000 units in 2003, according to figures from World Industrial Truck Statistics, a global alliance of industrial truck associations.

Forklift orders soared 39 per cent in Africa, 22 per cent in Oceania, 16 per cent in Asia and 13 per cent in the Americas. For the second consecutive year, Europe posted the smallest increase, a three per cent jump from the previous year's orders.