Give a brief history of your company
AUSA, set up in 1956 in Manresa, Barcelona, Spain, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of dumper trucks weighing up to seven tons, rough-terrain forklifts weighing up to 3.5 tons, multiservice vehicles weighing up to 2.5 tons, and concrete mixers and street sweepers. With a turnover of EUR98 million, it is the leading company in its sector, and has a clear international vision. The 23,000 square metre head office and production centre is in Manresa. The company has sites in Coslada, Madrid, and subsidiaries in Perpignan, France, Rochdale, United Kingdom, Hamm, Germany, Beijing, China, and Miami, USA. AUSA markets products in more than 70 countries and exports more than 40 per cent of the machines and vehicles it manufactures. The quality of AUSA's products is certified by international standards ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

What are your products/services?

AUSA designs, manufactures and markets rough-terrain forklifts with vertical masts and capacities from 1,300kg to 3,500kg and forklifts from 4,000kg to 6,000kg. Although AUSA does not directly specialise in hire (it works with major hire companies), it provides financial services through AUSA Finance. AUSA provides an exclusive maintenance service for customers through agreements managed by the AUSA Service division. That guarantees customers top performance of their machines, so they can focus exclusively on their businesses.

What makes your product outstanding?
AUSA made its first forklift truck in 1972 and it is estimated that in 2007 it will reach 20,000 manufactured units. AUSA is a member of the board of directors of the Industrial Forklift Trucks group of the European Maintenance Federation and a member of the General Secretariat of the Spanish Maintenance Association.

AUSA's forklifts act as an excellent connecting link between inaccessible and rough terrain and moving variable, heterogenous and balanced loads. AUSA forklifts have been awarded prizes for innovative design at international competitions, such as SED, in the United Kingdom and SMOPYC, in Spain.

They are highly useful on building sites since they work in perfect harmony with cranes. They facilitate lorry unloading and distribution and storage of palletised loads around work sites. Their compact measurements and excellent manoeuvrability on severe terrain with limited access make them the only machines capable of moving loads of up to 3,500kg and lifting loads up to a height of seven metres safely, accurately and reliably.

What is your company's position in the regional market? How about globally?
AUSA is the leading manufacturer in the world of rough-terrain, vertical mast forklifts up to 3,500kgs (6,000lbs). In Spain, the company's market share is 70 per cent. Internationally it is 50 per cent in Europe and 20 per cent worldwide.

Tell us your plans for the future.

AUSA is working on entering, from a commercial point of view, European countries and emerging nations in which a high level of growth is expected in the construction industry. Since tower cranes are used in the industry, forklift trucks are the ideal complement to optimise on-site material logistics.

The company is looking to broaden markets for forklifts. With that in mind, rough-terrain forklift trucks are being developed for semi-industrial uses. Consequently the company has found a place in the following sectors, wood, pre-fabricated concrete, ceramics, oil stations, agriculture and other markets that need large wheel forklifts that guarantee excellent stability for fork.