Northland Industrial Truck Co Inc (NITCO) has gained access to the Connecticut market and added a New Hampshire site with its 1 January acquisition of Hyster New England Inc assets (Forkliftaction.com News #442) from Charlie Haywood.

Historically a Yale outlet, NITCO is now a "dual-branded dealer (including Hyster) in certain marketplaces," Stephen O'Leary tells Forkliftaction.com News. O'Leary is president, chief executive officer and dealer principal of Wilmington-based NITCO.

NITCO staff members' "professionalism and passion, combined with their ability to provide material handling solutions of the highest quality will certainly enhance the customer experience," says Bob Sattler, vice president of dealer business development for Nacco Materials Handling Group Inc (NMHG). "We would like to thank Hyster New England, its ownership and its employees for their 30 years of dedication to the Hyster brand."

NMHG appointed NITCO as the Hyster dealer for Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and parts of Vermont and Massachusetts. NITCO continues as the Yale dealer in Maine, New Hampshire and part of Massachusetts.

NMHG is moving toward selective geographic dealership consolidations in North America for its Hyster and Yale brands.

O'Leary says NITCO took a temporary 90-day lease on Hyster New England's Berlin, Connecticut facility and may pursue a long-term arrangement.

In Concord, New Hampshire, NITCO took occupancy of a 15,000 sqft (1,350 sm) facility representing an improvement on a previous Hyster New England site in that state's capital city. A Concord presence gives NITCO better market access, O'Leary notes. "Previously, we did New Hampshire (business) from Massachusetts."

O'Leary says NITCO will not occupy either the former Hyster New England headquarters in North Billerica, Massachusetts or a Hyster New England facility in Scarborough, Maine.

NITCO employs 234 and, going forward, has operations in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts and Lewiston, Maine in addition to the Wilmington, Berlin and Concord locations.

Other Yale dealers within the expanded NITCO market include M&G Materials Handling Co of East Providence, Rhode Island and Industrial Trucks Inc. of North Haven, Connecticut.