The European forklift manufacturer Kion recently announced plans to move more aggressively to capture a larger share of the North American forklift market.
To mark the company’s effort, executives held a ribbon-cutting ceremony outside Kion’s existing North American headquarters in Summerville, South Carolina. While the act have been symbolic, executives are dead serious about the plans to sell more forklifts in the US, Canada and Mexico.
“As part of our bid to make inroads in the North American market, we are making changes here at the Summerville site in the way we present ourselves to the outside world and in production and sales,” said Bert-Jan Knoef, CEO of Still Group and a member of Kion’s board of directors. “We want to move away from a niche provider and become a significant player in North America under the Kion name.”
Kion currently produces forklifts under the brand names Kion, Linde and Still. It is composed of six branded companies and currently is the world’s second-largest maker of forklifts and warehouse technology.
Brian Butler, president of the company’s North American operations, said the strategy is designed to align with the company’s European operations, which will allow Kion to increase product offerings on this side of the Atlantic.