At the turn of the millennium, Japanese, European and American made forklifts dominated the list of most popular forklift brands all over the world. Brand names such as Toyota, Linde, Jungheinrich, Crown, Komatsu, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Hyster etc were either made in Japan, the United States or Europe.
These forklift brands were manufactured locally in their country of origin and exported right across the globe. How times have changed…
In China’s 2012 forklift export figures, it’s clear that many of the biggest exporters are actually the Japanese, US and European forklift firms. Yes – the traditional ‘big guns’ have set up their own production facilities in China to assemble their machines – which now make up 7 of the top 10 forklift exporters out of China!
Lower mass-scale production and labour costs have made China a very attractive venue for the world’s leading forklift manufacturers to establish these factories.
Initially, this move by foreign companies to build their forklifts in China was a way to penetrate the growing Chinese domestic market. Although increasingly they are now turning their focus abroad, exporting their Chinese built forklifts all over the world.
Having the leading global forklift manufacturers now willing to have their brand name feature on Chinese-built forklifts is a reflection of the increasing quality of Chinese manufactured forklifts.
Another notable development in recent years is the emergence of Chinese forklift companies on the list of top 20 global forklift manufacturers. In 2011, there were already two China-based forklift producers on the list of the top 20 industrial forklift suppliers.
Maximal Forklifts is currently the 3rd largest forklift manufacturer in China and is likely to soon enter the top 20 list itself.
Established in 2006, Maximal has significantly grown from a modest forklift plant to a sprawling 13-hectare state-of-the-art forklift factory complex. It has an annual production capacity of 30,000 forklifts and presently accounts for more than 10% of China’s total forklift exports.
Maximal products have also passed the ISO 9000 / 9001 / 9004 / 19011: 2000; ISO 14000 / 14001: 2004 Management System Certifications.
Maximal forklifts are distributed by ForkForce and the partnership has brought phenomenal growth in forklift sales.
Maximal manufactures a wide range of diesel, electric, LPG and dual-fuel forklifts from 1 to 32 tonnes, with 2-stage and 3-stage container masts and lift heights of 3 to 8 metres. Call today for more information or a quote.
