Year 2007 is an exceptional year for Lisman Forklift Trucks, because in these months the Dutch based company will be celebrating 40 years in the business. To take you back in time we provide you with an insight in the Lisman history.

40 years of Lisman Forklift Trucks
Lisman has been active in the forklift trucks business since 1967, in over the past forty years they built a strong reputation both in the Netherlands and abroad. We like to take you on a journey back in time ....

The founder of the company was Anton Lisman Senior (1914 - 2005†). Anton came from an enterprising family active in the construction industry. He himself also worked independently in building, and in the 1950s started a company that traded in reinforcing steel. In 1960 he bought a consignment of reinforcing steel from the Koninklijke Hoogovens (Dutch State blast furnaces), which included three used Coventry Climax forklift trucks. Anton sold them on. Obviously this first experience in trading used forklift trucks was a good one, because in April 1967 he set up Lisman Forklift Trucks.

Family business
When Anton Senior's sons came into the business, Lisman Forklift Trucks developed into a genuine family business. After completing the I.V.A. Autoschool in Driebergen in 1968, Anton junior began working with his father. In 1972, he was followed by eldest son Jos, who had spent a few years after Technical College building up experience with car importers. At this time, the company was located at the Voordorpsedijk, Fort Blauwkapel, Utrecht. In 1972, after five years of growth, the company moved to a larger location at the Jekerstraat in the centre of Utrecht.

International wholesaler
In the early years Lisman delivered mainly new, used and reconditioned forklift trucks to end-users. During the 1970s this changed in that there was more international wholesale business. We imported large consignments of machines from England and Sweden and then exported these to forklift truck dealerships all over the world. As a result of this change, it became more important to make the used machines saleable in our own premises. Because the focus was shifted from the end-user customer to the distribution, the service department was cut back.

Direct marketing
International wholesale required a different market approach. In a time predating the Internet, Jos and Anton started setting up a database in which forklift truck dealers could be intensively targeted with special offers. In 1978 they decided to invest in an IBM computer. This equipment was the size of a washer-dryer and at the time cost just as much as a nice semi-detached house. This apparently extravagant investment turned out to be very practical, because with it direct marketing could be carried out in a professional manner. The mail shots that were sent out were also distinctive, as they were printed in full colour: the now famous Lift Truck News.

Relocation to IJsselstein
All this resulted in increased sales and thus a growth in the organisation. In the middle of the 1980s, the management team was expanded with a third man, Gert Versteeg, who focused mainly on general management. During this period, a need developed for a company premises in a more accessible location. This led to the relocation to the current premises on the Techniekweg in IJsselstein. In the 1987 move, a building with 11,500 m2 seemed very large indeed, but in no time at all the space was chock-a-block with machines. In this way Lisman began its next stage of expansion and also the forkarms importing section could achieve valuable space and attention.

Company strategy
During the nineties, internationalisation became more intense and at the same time the forklift truck market became more transparent. The intensity of competition also increased. Lisman realised this in good time and adapted the company strategy.

We still hold to the basic principles we established then:

• sell exclusively to distributors;
• provide a complete range in reliable and standardised quality.

The scale of products became increasingly wider. In addition to forklift trucks and heavy machines, there was also the trade in used warehouse trucks. The buying and selling of used rough terrain machinery and telescopics also grew. In recent years, access equipment has been added, thus completing the standard Lisman range. Quality is the trademark. This is why in recent years Lisman has invested strongly in their production line at the Techniekweg, where all machines undergo an extensive standard treatment. The guaranteed quality that Lisman can provide this way is appreciated by an ever-increasing number of customers.

IJsselstein new building
Consequently after 2000 space was in very short supply, and Lisman initially dealt with this by using an extra premises in Vianen. Luckily the opportunity came up to build a new premises close to the home base. That new premises is now located at the Archimedesstraat, a mere stone's throw from the Techniekweg. This is where a cheaper range of indoor transport machines is housed in 4,500m2. Despite this expansion, even more space was needed to store rough terrain machines. For this purpose, Lisman is using a temporary location in Utrecht.

Ready for the future
The enormous expansion of Lisman Forklift Trucks has not altered the character of the family business. The company is proud of its closely-knit team of workers, many of whom have worked for the company for several years. In the meantime, a third generation of workers has been taken on. In January 2004 Koen Lisman took over his father Jos' share, and with his uncle Anton is now owner of the company. Looking back on 40 years, there is every reason to thank customers for putting their trust in Lisman Forklift Trucks again and again. We are ready for the future and intend to remain your reliable trading partner in the field of second-hand machines!

"The enormous expansion of Lisman Forklift Trucks has not altered the character of our family business."

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