Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA) will this year celebrate half a century of forklift sales in Australia with a series of events commencing in April.
Toyota’s first forklift sale in Australia was a one-tonne payload LA model in April 1968.
It has since delivered more than 50,000 forklifts nationally and enjoyed 30 consecutive years of Australian forklift market leadership in engine-powered counterbalance forklifts.
Toyota is the world’s leading material-handling manufacturer, with more than 60 years’ experience in forklift trucks.
An industry-leading commitment to research and development has allowed parent company Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO) to unveil new products and services every year since it began forklift manufacture in 1956.
In 2000, TICO further boosted its warehouse range by acquiring BT Industries – manufacturer of BT Lift Trucks – and Raymond forklifts.
TMHA offers a massive suite of engine-powered and battery electric warehouse models in Australia, headed by the 8-Series forklift range, as well as towing tractors and the Huski skid-steer loader range.
TMHA COO Steve Takacs said this year’s celebrations will be testament to the constant quality improvements made to Toyota’s product range.
“Over the last half century we have seen constant refinement and improvement in the Toyota forklift product offering, so that today the 8-Series range leads the way in safety, efficiency and after-sales support through our nation-wide network of TMHA branches,” said Mr Takacs.
“Running in parallel to the development of the forklifts, Toyota’s Australian forklift operation has grown from its beginnings in 1968 as a division of the local Toyota automotive business to a factory-backed national network employing more than 750 people and with a fleet of 300 mobile service vans.”
TICO purchased the Australian operation from Toyota Australia in 2003, to form Toyota Industries Corporation Australia, and progressively acquired the Toyota forklift dealerships to create a national network.
In 2007, TICA was renamed Toyota Material Handling Australia and the company opened an all-new national and New South Wales headquarters in Moorebank (Sydney).
