The Doosan Infracore stand at Manutention 2006.

Doosan Infracore has singled out the European market as part of its strategy to be ranked the world's fifth highest selling forklift manufacturer by 2010.

Daniel Vanhemelrijck, sales and marketing manager of Doosan Infracore Europe, told Forkliftaction.com News that Doosan had set a goal to sell USD100 million of forklifts to the western European market this year.

"Our target is to increase sales in Europe by at least 14 per cent [from 2004]. The market is growing, so a logical step is for us to follow the trend or at least keep our market share.

"But the main reason is, Doosan plans to be number five in the world by 2010 and, to reach this ambitious goal, we need to increase sales each year by at least 14 per cent," he said.

Doosan's main European markets are the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain and it is represented in every western European country by a dealer network. Doosan is represented by about 40 dealers in each major European market. It has branches in the UK, France, Italy, and Germany and a national importer in Spain.

Vanhemelrijck outlined the differences between forklift models for the Asian and western European markets.

"In Asia cabins are not popular but in Europe they are. We developed cabins according to Scandinavian needs; mainly more windows and more deluxe items like reading lamps, cup holders, suspension seats and others.

"Fingertip controls and joysticks are popular and, like our competitors, we now have them on some models," he said.

Doosan Infracore exhibited eight forklift models at Manutention 2006 in Paris on March 7. The Seoul-headquartered company used the event to explain its sales strategies to its European dealers and introduce the company's new name to customers.