Site Profiles
Handling Equipment
Hyster

Hyster

Website

https://www.hyster.com

Basic Information

Hyster was founded in Portland, Oregon in 1929, initially as the Willamette Ersted Company by Ernest G. Swigert. The company started by manufacturing lifting machines for the logging industry and later developed a reputation for building durable and reliable lift trucks. Today, Hyster is operated by Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc., with its corporate headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. The company designs and produces a full line of forklifts, pallet stackers, container handlers, electric trucks, and other material handling equipment for global markets. Hyster is recognized for its legacy of innovation and commitment to high-quality products that meet the demands of various industries, including logistics, manufacturing, and warehousing. As of recent years, Hyster and Hyster-Yale Materials Handling operates globally, maintaining a strong presence in major industrial markets.

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Awards

Hyster has received numerous awards in recent years, including:

  • Edison Award for excellence in forklift innovation (2023) [source: https://www.hyster.com/en-us/north-america/why-hyster/press-releases/2023/hyster-honored-for-excellence-in-forklift-innovation-with-2023-edison-award-win/]
  • GOOD DESIGN® Award for the Hyster® H40-70A forklift series (2023) [source: https://www.hyster.com/en-us/north-america/why-hyster/press-releases/2024/hyster-honored-with-design-award-for-a-series-forklifts/]
  • Green Award for clean power solutions (2024) [source: https://www.hyster.com/en-us/north-america/why-hyster/press-releases/2024/hyster-receives-green-award-for-full-line-of-clean-power-solutions/]
  • Recognition in the Global Good Awards ‘Game Changing Innovation of the Year’ category for the hydrogen fuel cell-powered ReachStacker (2024) [source: https://www.hyster.com/en-us/north-america/why-hyster/our-awards/]
  • Nomination for IFOY (International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year) Award for the J60XNL forklift [source: https://www.hyster.com/en-gb/emea/why-hyster/press-releases/hyster-lift-truck-nominated-for-ifoy-award/]
  • Aurora Award for best-in-class operator training program (2013) [source: https://www.hyster.com/en-us/north-america/why-hyster/press-releases/2013/best-in-class-operator-training-program-lands-hyster-company-prestigious-aurora-award/]
  • Dealer of Distinction awards recognizing individual dealer performance annually [source: https://www.hyster.com/en-us/north-america/why-hyster/press-releases/2025/hyster-recognizes-dealer-of-distinction-recipients-for-2024/]

Certifications

Hyster holds global certifications including ISO 9001:2008 for quality management and ISO 14001:2001/2004 for environmental management [source: https://www.hyster.com/en-gb/emea/why-hyster/ and https://www.hyster.com/en-sg/asia-pacific/why-hyster/]. The company also provides EPA emissions certification for its internal combustion engine-powered lift trucks [source: https://www.hyster.com/en-us/north-america/why-hyster/press-releases/2021/hyster-yale-group-confirms-availability-of-epa-certified-internal-combustion-engines/].

Key Features

Hyster is a leading manufacturer of lift trucks and material handling equipment, serving industries that demand heavy-duty solutions such as warehouses, ports, terminals, manufacturing plants, railyards, lumber mills, and more.

Key features and main capabilities of Hyster include:

  1. Wide Range of Products: Hyster offers a full line of forklifts including internal combustion (diesel, LPG) and electric models, high-capacity trucks, container handlers, reach stackers, pallet trucks, pallet stackers, tow tractors, order pickers, and very narrow aisle trucks.
  2. Industry Solutions: Tailored solutions for diverse sectors—ports & terminals, lumber, metals, agriculture, chemicals & plastics, general manufacturing, trucking, paper & packaging, auto manufacturing, building materials, and third-party logistics (3PL).
  3. Technological Innovation: Advanced operator assist systems, pedestrian awareness cameras, telematics, automation solutions, and options for electrification (including lithium-ion batteries and battery swapping systems).
  4. Parts & Services: Comprehensive support including genuine forklift parts, rapid parts availability, maintenance programs, fleet management, and service provider networks.
  5. Training & Safety: Extensive operator and technician training, safety solutions including pedestrian awareness and forklift stability controls, with a focus on safe material handling practices.
  6. Global Support Network: Over 100 chosen dealers worldwide, delivering sales, service, and training with nearly a century of material handling experience.
  7. Custom Engineering: Special engineering and custom equipment options are available to tailor products to unique operational requirements.

(Source: https://www.hyster.com)

Featured Products

Hyster is a global provider of material handling equipment with an extensive portfolio of feature products including:

  1. Forklifts: Wide range of internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric counterbalance forklifts, including heavy-duty models (source).
  2. Container Handlers and Reach Stackers: Designed for heavy-duty and port operations, like the RS45 ReachStacker (45 tonne capacity first row) and H11XD-ECD9 container handler (source, source).
  3. Walkie and Pallet Stackers: Compact warehouse solutions such as the Walkie Reach Stacker (source).
  4. Tow Tractors/Tuggers: Electric tow tractors/tuggers for horizontal transport (source).
  5. UT Series: Budget-friendly lift trucks and warehouse trucks (source).
  6. A Series Forklifts: Highly configurable models engineered for scalability (source).
  7. Telematics and Safety Features: Solutions like Hyster Tracker, safety alarms, cameras, lighting, mirrors, and more (source, source).

These high-performance products serve industries such as logistics, warehousing, ports, manufacturing, and more.

All information sourced from: https://www.hyster.com

Marketing Focus

Hyster’s marketing focus is on providing reliable, heavy-duty forklifts and material handling equipment designed to meet the demanding needs of intense industrial environments. Their solutions emphasize productivity, safety, durability, and advanced technologies such as operator assist systems and electrification options. Hyster positions itself as a trusted partner for material handling operations with a global dealer network and almost a century of industry experience. The company targets a wide range of industries including ports and terminals, general manufacturing, trucking, metals, agriculture, lumber, chemicals and plastics, paper and packaging, automotive and transportation manufacturing, building materials, third-party logistics (3PL), and equipment rental companies.

Source: https://www.hyster.com/

Technical Strength

Hyster is recognized as a global leader in the design and manufacture of lift trucks and material handling solutions, offering over 90 years of expertise in the industry. The company provides a wide range of forklifts and trucks with lifting capacities from 2,000 to 105,000 pounds, utilizing award-winning designs, industrial-strength components, and high-tech manufacturing processes. Hyster is known for its adaptability to various power sources including gasoline, propane, diesel, compressed natural gas, hydrogen fuel cells, lithium-ion, and lead-acid batteries, emphasizing sustainability through its electric-powered and clean-energy solutions. The company’s global dealer network ensures strong support and consistent product quality worldwide. Furthermore, Hyster invests in custom engineering for special user requirements, telematics, automation, operator assist systems, and battery swapping technology, positioning itself as a future-focused, innovation-driven organization in the material handling sector.

(Source: https://www.hyster.com/en-us/north-america/why-hyster/)

Environment / Society / Governance

Hyster has demonstrated a commitment to ESG (Environment, Society, and Governance) in several ways. Environmentally, the company focuses on developing energy-efficient electrification technologies and setting ambitious sustainability goals to be achieved by 2026, along with ongoing updates on green manufacturing initiatives. Socially, Hyster emphasizes corporate responsibility, safety, and the well-being of its employees, customers, and communities. In terms of governance, their strategic planning consistently incorporates environmental and social considerations, as seen in their corporate responsibility reports. Additionally, Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, the parent company, has been recognized in the top 35% of companies assessed by EcoVadis for sustainability and corporate social responsibility in recent years and has received a bronze sustainability medal from EcoVadis.

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Pricing Plans

Hyster offers several fleet management maintenance programs rather than a public, fixed-price plan. Pricing is customized based on your needs and must be obtained via a local dealer. The main service plan tiers include:

  1. Periodic Maintenance Programs: Customized maintenance schedules based on fleet usage, application, and environment to help reduce downtime and extend equipment lifespan.
  2. Full Maintenance Programs: Comprehensive maintenance covering all parts and service for scheduled and unscheduled events. Billing can be arranged at a fixed monthly cost or by run time hour (some exclusions apply).
  3. Usage-Based Rate Programs: Maintenance plan billed monthly based on actual hours of equipment use. Includes scheduled maintenance and coverage for unscheduled breakdowns.

All plans feature support for multiple makes/models, preferred fleet labor rates, and single-source fleet service. Specific costs, tiers, and pricing details are not listed online and require direct contact with a Hyster dealer for a tailored quote.

Source: https://www.hyster.com/en-us/north-america/parts-and-services/fleet-management/maintenance-programs/

Testimonials

“With the goal of improving safety and efficiency of coil handling operations, Nucor turned to Hyster to develop a solution utilizing a Hyster ReachStacker.” (Source: https://www.hyster.com/en-us/north-america/support-resources/media-library/videos/hyster-reachstacker-in-steel-nucor-steel-arkansas-customer-testimonial/)

“We like Hyster. They are very dependable, very tough and we use them hard. I would recommend Hyster to anybody in the beverage business or anybody that uses forklifts.” (Source: https://www.hyster.com/en-us/north-america/support-resources/case-studies/bb-distributors/)

“EVERYTHING IS GOOD TO GO. YOUR TECH WAS VERY INFORMATIVE, KEPT US UP TO DATE, AND WORKED WELL WITH OUR GUYS. I REALLY LIKED THE QUICK RESPONSE. VERY GREAT.” (Source: https://www.medleycompany.com/about-us/success-stories/)

“Hyster forklifts are durable machines that help to increase the efficiency of operations. The vast majority of customer reviews agree with this, finding Hyster forklifts to be durable and reliable.” (Source: https://www.topratedlists.com/equipment/industrial-equipment/forklifts-review-hyster.html)

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