A Hyster forklift

Effective 28 February, the European construction equipment business of Zeppelin GmbH of Garching, Germany will cease representation of the Hyster brand, ending a 12-year relationship.

Zeppelin has chosen to focus on its construction equipment business, emphasising the Caterpillar brand, says Alfred M Rankin Jr, chairman, president and CEO of publicly traded Hyster-Yale Materials Handling Inc of Mayfield Heights, Ohio, United States.

While historically having an "extremely low share in Germany", Hyster is using the opportunity to put in place a distribution system that may help the manufacturer gain share in the country, Rankin reports.

Michael Brogan, Hyster-Yale vice chairman and operating subsidiary Nacco Materials Handling Group CEO, adds that Nacco has "continued the business in the meantime ... as well as adding our own sales people. So I foresee an opportunity to increase our business in addition to the existing Yale business that we have in Germany. I am quite optimistic."

The Hyster team for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) is adjusting.

"We have a clearly structured growth strategy and are the world's number one when it comes to independent dealer networks," says Ralf Mock, managing director for both Nacco Materials Handling Group EMEA and Hyster GmbH in Neu-Isenburg, Germany. "We are currently working on various options for developing our network in Germany. We focus on close co-operation with the existing 15 German Hyster distribution partners and potential new partners," he says, adding that the company will continue its global strategy of market leadership with independent dealers.

Zeppelin became the sole sales and service partner of Hyster GmbH in Germany in 2001. "We regret that we are losing our long-term partner," Mock says in a statement. "But we also understand that Zeppelin wants to focus on its core business."