Hyster and its UK distributor, Barloworld Handling attributes its recent major contract win from the British Ministry of Defence to Hyster's global dealer support network.

The contract will see Hyster deliver equipment to all three of the British armed forces - army, navy and air force - over a period of eight years. While Hyster did not specify a dollar value when announcing the contract, equipment to be supplied will range from warehouse trucks, forklift trucks (from 1-48 tons), container handlers and reach stackers.

Alan Blyth, Hyster's senior major accounts manager says the strong manufacturer/dealer combination was instrumental in gaining the substantial foothold with the military in Europe.

Gary Clements, the divisional director of Barloworld Handling agreed with Blyth saying, "Hyster has particular strengths in two areas, its product offering and its reputation with both the US and British armed forces. That's an important factor because armies are not just confined to one country; they need support worldwide."

Alan Blyth for Hyster confirmed that the company is in talks with a number of other European countries about their defence needs.