Manitou BF will establish a new company in Sydney at the end of this year to complement its Singapore regional office.

Stuart Walker, national Manitou product manager of NTP forklifts, who will head the new company as commercial manager, said the sales, service and training centre was being established to cover the increase in Manitou’s market and product line.

"I’m looking for premises and staff for the new office, which will be officially launched in November," Walker said.

The new company, which Walker said would be in Mascot, New South Wales, near Sydney Airport, would be a support mechanism for Manitou dealers.

"We expect there to be a lot of people coming in for training from interstate and overseas so we are looking for premises near the airport," he said.

Walker emphasised the new office was not a retail outlet but a training centre that would cover the Asia Pacific region.

"We will focus on Australia in the early stages as it is one of the developing markets."

He said Manitou also planned to open similar subsidiaries for China, Russia and other emerging markets.

The owners of Australian Manitou dealerships NTP Forklifts and LiftRite Toyota will be minority shareholders in the new company.