Hoist Liftruck lands deal to make Toyota forklifts

“We are excited to partner with TMHU on this project, and we are confident this will be integral to our mutual growth.”

Hoist Liftruck new business development and property manager Vince Flaska said it would be a similar agreement to the Chinese company, Foxcann, manufacturing iPhones and other Apple products. Hoist will make Forklifts that range from 22,000 to 72,000 pounds that will be sold under the Toyota brand name.

So far, the company has made about 30 of the forklifts at its new 550,000-square-foot factory on Railroad Avenue in East Chicago.

“The high-capacity forklift market is an important segment of the material handling industry in North America,” said TMHU President Jeff Rufener.

“We are committed to our role as a full-line supplier, and we are proud to partner with Hoist to offer Toyota dealers and customers a broader selection of high-capacity forklifts made in the U.S.”

Hoist Liftruck currently is making the forklift for Toyota dealerships in North America, but expects eventually to expand production to meet demand in South America, Europe and the rest of the world.

“It’s huge,” Flaska said. “It’s just going to grow. Toyota has a huge brand name.”