The consolidation of the forklift industry continues with this week's major announcement by giant Barloworld Ltd that it will quit the United States forklift market after 33 years. Barloworld, which distributes the Hyster brand, is no small player. It has 800 employees and 30 forklift branches in North America.
The move comes after significant ripples from the rationalisation by Nacco Materials Handling of its Hyster and Yale brands.
Two major organisations are poised to take over the Barloworld US interests, and there's no indication that the South African-based group will exit its other markets in the UK and Europe, where its Hyster businesses have done well of late.