Nissan Forklift Corp North America has named Carolina Industrial Trucks Inc as an authorised distributor for a nine-county region including North Carolina's largest city, Charlotte.

"Carolina Industrial Trucks' emphasis on quality products and superior customer service makes the company an ideal partner," says Mark Manninen, Nissan Forklift Corp director of distribution management and sales intelligence. "Their expertise in the materials handling business combined with a reputation for keeping long-term loyal customers will strengthen the Nissan brand position in the . . . region."

John G Cotham, dealer principal of Carolina Industrial Trucks, says, "Nissan Forklift is a 'superstar' that we are proud to add to our already 'all-star' lineup. . . . We look forward to expanding our business with the strength of the Nissan name." Carolina Industrial Trucks continues its 22-year-long representation of the Komatsu forklift brand.

Nissan approached the dealership in early 2011, and the new authorisation was effective from 15 March, Cotham says.
Cotham and chief financial officer Mike Moore founded Carolina Industrial Trucks in 1989.

Within the region, Carolina Industrial Trucks has its 20,000 sqft. (1,800 sqm) headquarters in Charlotte and North Carolina branches in Statesville and Monroe. Outside the region, the dealer has South Carolina branches in Greenville and Columbia. Carolina Industrial Trucks has 42 employees and a short-term rental inventory of more than 200 forklifts.

The Nissan authorisation for Carolina Industrial Trucks covers Cabarrus, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan and Union counties.

A competitor has represented Nissan since 1976. Greensboro, North Carolina-based Western Carolina Forklift Inc covers all of North Carolina and portions of Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky. Another competitor, Vesco Industrial Trucks of Hickory, North Carolina, represents Nissan's sister brand Barrett in Iredell and Catawba counties.

Effective from 1 October, Nissan Motor Co Ltd spun off its global forklift-focused industrial machinery division into wholly owned subsidiary Nissan Forklift Co Ltd of Yokohama, Japan (Forkliftaction.com News #473). Managers at the subsidiary's Marengo, Illinois-based Western Hemisphere business headquarters oversee a network of nearly 100 authorised dealerships with more than 225 locations throughout North, Central and South America.