ITA president Jim Malvaso

For the first time, an Industrial Truck Association president will address a sister association's annual meeting.

ITA president Jim Malvaso, who is Raymond's president and CEO, said he had accepted an invitation from China Industrial Truck Association (CITA) managing director Su Enyi to be a keynote speaker at CITA's annual meeting in Shanghai on May 21-22.

An ITA statement said although many ITA presidents had attended meetings at sister associations in Europe and Japan, it was the first time an ITA president had been asked to speak.

Malvaso said his address would support the relationship between ITA and CITA.

"The growth in the Chinese domestic market for lift trucks from 18,000 in 2001 to more than 94,000 in 2006 creates significant opportunities for many ITA members. Recognising this, we have hosted a series of programs during our own annual meeting aimed at making members aware of the business potential in China.
"While the American market remains the largest, in terms of domestic shipments, China has now surpassed Japan as the world's second largest single country market," he said.

"Many ITA members are already active in China, and many more are likely to be soon. My participation helps cement the warm relationship ITA has developed over the years with CITA and I am pleased to be asked to [make a] keynote [address to] its meeting."

CITA expects about 200 attendees at the meeting that will feature discussions on standards, statistics and CITA's application for membership of the Alliance of Industrial Truck Organisations, established in 1997. The alliance consists of the management committees of the Japan Industrial Vehicle Association and the Federation of European Material Handling Manufacturers.

The ITA annual meeting is scheduled for September 8-12 in Banff, Alberta, Canada.