Hilo Materials Handling Group is planning an 18 September opening ceremony for a full-service factory-authorised Hyster branch in the Long Island City neighbourhood of New York City's Queens borough.

Hauppauge-based Hilo will gain "a whole set of new customers" by adding the location, says Steven LoPiccolo, Hilo president.

Hilo acquired Hyster dealer Viccaro Equipment Corp in Hauppauge on 16 March 2011, enabling the dealer to expand its sales territory to the New York metropolitan area and establish the new leased 10,000 sqft. (929 sqm) site. The Hilo facility on Oser Avenue in Hauppauge occupies 32,000 sqft. (2,973 sqm).

About 40 mi. (64 km) separate the hamlet of Hauppauge in Suffolk County and the Long Island City neighbourhood.

Hilo is a longtime dealer for the Yale forklift brand and has received Yale dealer of excellence awards for seven consecutive years.

Hilo represents Yale in Suffolk and Nassau counties and has been in the materials handling equipment business for more than 35 years. Hyster and Yale are brands of Nacco Materials Handling Group Inc.

Hilo's Hyster representation includes Suffolk and Nassau counties plus the New York City boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx and Manhattan and, to the north of the city, Westchester County. The new location on 37th Street is dedicated solely to the Hyster brand and will offer fully staffed sales, parts, service and rental functions.

"We took a big risk last year (in trying) to put things in place" for market expansion and new business opportunities, LoPiccolo notes.

For both locations, Hilo employs 80 staff, including 30 forklift technicians and 10 dock and door technicians. Employees using a fleet of more than 26 vans handle services on the road.

In addition to the forklift lines, Hilo Materials represents JLG aerial lift equipment, Kelley and Serco loading docks, Rytec and TKO doors and Nilfisk-Advance sweepers and floor cleaning equipment, and operates a commercial lighting division that supplies award-winning Hi-Light Energy Systems for warehouse applications. Hilo also supplies mezzanine and industrial racking systems.

Prior to the Viccaro acquisition, the Hilo business was known as Hilo-Yale Industrial Trucks Inc.

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