Eastern Lift Truck Co Inc intends to establish another location to complement its 10 facilities in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Eastern Lift has hired Sam Burch to manage the new full-service branch in a soon-to-be-designated existing building in north eastern Pennsylvania, either in Columbia County where Bloomsburg is the county seat or Luzerne County where Wilkes-Barre is the county seat. The branch will sell new and used equipment and parts and provide maintenance, training and rental services.

Eastern says: "An increase in business has resulted in the need for another facility."

Eastern Lift Truck represents Yale, Combilift, Kalmar, JLG and Taylor-Dunn units and numerous other brands.

Meanwhile, the Maple Shade-based dealership absorbed and renamed an entity that Eastern Lift Truck acquired on 15 December (Forkliftaction.com News #496).

The acquisition involved 42-year-old Manchester Industries Inc, which has functioned for five months as the Manchester Industries division of Eastern Lift Truck.

John Vaccari, most recently Manchester division general manager, remains with Eastern as manager of the branches in Allentown and York, Pennsylvania.

Currently, Eastern Lift Truck employs 450 persons. "We expect that figure to swell to 475 in the next six months," says Michael Edmonds, marketing manager. Since December, the firm has hired 30 materials handling professionals.