The British Industrial Truck Association (BITA) is predicting continued growth for the UK market in 2003, with renewed confidence following a record first quarter.

BITA members reported orders for 7,870 forklifts for the first quarter, a record number for a single quarter and 16 percent higher than the first quarter of 2002.

The impact of the quarter on annual figures was "considerable", a BITA report said. In the 12 months to the end of March 2003, 28,600 new forklifts were ordered from the UK's principal suppliers, representing market growth of four percent in one quarter.

The most significant growth areas for the year to March were reach trucks (19 percent), powered pallet trucks (19 percent) and LPG counterbalance forklifts (13 percent).

"BITA expects the UK forklift market to remain buoyant during the second quarter, but the market is not expected to grow as rapidly as over recent months, and may level out as we head to the second half of the year," the report said.