A forklift is a valuable tool if you need to load, transport, and unload heavy materials in a warehouse, on a project, or at a construction site. When you think about renting or buying a forklift, you know that forklift size, load capacity, versatility, and reach are all important considerations as are price and safety features.
However, you may want to know how the different forklift brands compare and what each has to offer. In this article, we explore the 25 most popular forklift manufacturers and detail what types of forklifts and other heavy equipment they provide.
1. Toyota Industries Corporation
Toyota Industries Corporation is the world’s leading manufacturer of lift trucks, marketed under the Toyota, Raymond, and CESAB brands.
Toyota offers electric lift trucks that can navigate tight spaces and be used indoors. The company also has a line of internal combustion lifts for heavy loads such as lumber, stone material, and harbor freight. Load capacities range from 0.5 tons to 40 tons.
- Year founded: 1926
- Revenue: $12.7 billion
- Website: https://www.toyota-industries.com/
- Types of forklifts: IC trucks, electric trucks, reach trucks, and pallet jacks
2. Kion Group
Kion Group offers a diverse line of diesel and electric forklifts, with more than 1.6 million forklift trucks in use by their customers in 100 countries. Kion is the largest manufacturer of forklift trucks in Europe, but it also has a presence in the Americas, India, and South Asia.
Kion’s North American products through Linde Material Handling include electric counterbalanced trucks, internal combustion trucks with cushion or pneumatic tires, and electric trucks designed for narrow aisles. Linde brands tout energy savings of up to 40% compared with other brands.
- Year founded: 2006
- Revenue: $7 billion
- Website: https://www.kiongroup.com/en/
- Types of forklifts: Counterbalanced trucks, electric trucks, aisle trucks, and tow tractors
3. Jungheinrich
The Jungheinrich group specializes in lifts for stacking and transporting in warehouses and is one of the world’s leading makers of warehouse products.
The company manufactures more than 26 different types of lift trucks, and their capacities range from 2,000 to nearly 20,000 pounds. Jungheinrich is known for its technologically advanced design, energy efficiency, and low cost of ownership. The company has more than 340 locations and 5 parts distribution centers throughout North America.
- Year founded: 1953
- Revenue: $4.6 billion
- Website: https://www.logisnextamericas.com/en/jungheinrich
- Types of forklifts: Pallet trucks, reach trucks, electric trucks, and walkie stackers
4. Mitsubishi Logisnext Co., Ltd
Mitsubishi Logisnext offers seven types of lift vehicles that supply high levels of power and speed with clean-engine technology. In business for 30 years, Mitsubishi forklift trucks come in an array of models, including small and midsize internal combustion trucks, electric trucks, stackers, and reach trucks.
The company’s sales network spans the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as China, Korea, and Taiwan. Its network includes more than 60 dealer and field support locations in North, Central, and South America.
- Year founded: 1937
- Revenue: $3.8 billion
- Website: https://www.logisnext.com/en/
- Types of forklifts: IC trucks, reach trucks, electric trucks, pallet trucks, stackers, and order pickers
5. Crown Equipment Corporation
Crown Equipment Corporation is a manufacturing company that produces forklift and material handling equipment and components. The company makes everything from hand-pallet trucks to high-lifting turret trucks.
Crown manufactures as much as 85% of its lift truck components, including motors, drive units, and electronic modules. Based in New Bremen, Ohio, it has 19 manufacturing facilities and more than 500 retail outlets in 84 countries. In addition to North America, it has a presence in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore, and China.
- Year founded: 1945
- Revenue: $3.6 billion
- Website: https://www.crown.com/en-us.html
- Types of forklifts: Pallet jacks, order pickers, reach trucks, electric trucks, and IC trucks
6. Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc
Hyster-Yale began as a maker of lift machines for the Pacific Northwest logging industry. The company makes machines utilizing a variety of power sources, including gasoline, propane, diesel, compressed natural gas, lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries, and hydrogen fuel cells.
In business for more than 90 years, Hyster-Yale makes lift trucks with capacities ranging from 2,000 to 115,000 pounds. The company makes vehicles with pneumatic or cushion tires, lifts with an extended reach, as well as container handlers and other machines. Its global network includes more than 100 dealers.
- Year founded: 1926
- Revenue: $3.1 billion
- Website: https://www.hyster.com/en-us/north-america/
- Types of forklifts: Pallet truck, IC trucks, electric trucks, order pickers, tow tractors, reach trucks, and aisle trucks
7. Anhui Heli
Anhui Heli is China’s largest manufacturer of material handling equipment. It broke into the top 10 among the world’s forklift manufacturers in 2006, and a decade later had reached the top seven.
Anhui Heli carries a range of forklifts with lifting capacities that range from 2,000 to 100,000 pounds. It offers internal combustion, lithium-ion, and electric models with cushion or pneumatic tires. Its selection of lifts includes heavy-duty and warehouse machines.
- Year founded: 1958
- Revenue: $1.9 billion
- Website: https://www.heliforkliftamerica.com/
- Types of forklifts: IC trucks, electric trucks, pallet trucks, and heavy-duty trucks
8. Hangcha Group
Hangcha Group carries a line of equipment ranging from pallet trucks to turret trucks and tow tractors. The company has 48 years of experience in forklift products, and “forklift” is even part Hangcha manufactures more than 250,000 units of forklifts trucks annually and ranks eighth in the world in terms of sales volume.
Founded in 1956 as Hangzhou Mechanical Repair Factory in Hangzhou, China, it has sold forklifts in more than 180 countries and regions.
- Year founded: 1956
- Revenue: $1.3 billion
- Website: https://www.hcforklift.com/
- Types of forklifts: Electric trucks, pallet trucks, IC trucks, rough-terrain trucks, tow tractors, reach trucks, and aisle trucks
9. Manitou
Manitou provides handling, lifting, and earthmoving machines under the brand names Manitou, Mustang by Manitou, and Gehl. Based in France, Manitou’s North American operations are headquartered in West Bend, Wisconsin.
The company invented the first all-terrain forklift truck and carries lifts designed for industrial, construction, and agricultural applications. Its forklift trucks range in capacity from just over 3,500 pounds up to 15,000 pounds. It also offers telehandlers, loaders, aerial work platforms in its line of equipment.
- Year founded: 1954
- Revenue: $1.3 billion
- Website: https://www.manitou.com/en-US
- Types of forklifts: Rough-terrain trucks, electric trucks, and pallet trucks
10. Doosan
Doosan has been making forklifts for more than 50 years and carries 133 product models with capacities ranging from 3,000 to 55,000 pounds. The company makes both internal combustion and electric lifts in 82 engine/battery configurations.
The Doosan Industrial Vehicle America Corporation (DIVAC) is based in Georgia. It has more than 80 independent, authorized, and trained dealers with more than 250 sales and service locations in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Its line of equipment includes vehicles with pneumatic or cushion tires, as well as warehouse vehicles, stand-up riders, and pallet trucks.
- Year founded: 1896
- Revenue: $0.9 billion
- Website: https://www.doosanlift.com/
- Types of forklifts: Electric trucks, reach trucks, pallet trucks, and stand-up riders
11. Komatsu
Komatsu provides equipment for the mining, forest, energy, and manufacturing industries. Its product line includes three electric forklifts, six internal combustion pneumatic lifts, one IC cushion lift, and one narrow-aisle lift.
Komatsu’s forklifts have lifting capacities that range from 3,000 to 35,000 pounds. Its lifts run on electricity, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), dual fuel, and diesel power. Based in Tokyo, Komatsu has dealers and distributors in more than 140 countries.
- Year founded: 1921
- Revenue: $605 million
- Website: https://www.komatsu.jp/en
- Types of forklifts: Electric trucks, narrow aisle, and IC trucks
12. Clark Material Handling
Clark Material Handling has more than 250,000 lift trucks operating in North America and 350,000 worldwide. Clark is the first forklift manufacturer in the world to be certified in compliance with ISO 9001.
Clark offers forklifts ranging from 1,500 to 18,000 pounds. Lifts are equipped with electric, LPG, dual fuel, or diesel engines. Its dealer network spans more than 230 locations in North America and more than 550 in more than 80 countries worldwide. It also has parts distribution warehouses in Louisville and South Korea.
- Year founded: 1903
- Revenue: $705 million
- Website: https://www.clarkmhc.com/
- Types of forklifts: IC trucks, electric trucks, pallet jacks, and narrow aisle
13. Hyundai Material Handling
Hyundai Material Handling offers a line of 13 electric, 7 liquid petroleum, and 8 diesel lifts. The company has also expanded its industrial presence to become an automobile and shipbuilding company.
Hyundai’s electric lifts come in sit-down and stand-up models and have lifting capacities ranging from 2,000 to 11,000 pounds. LP lift capacities range up to 15,000 pounds, while diesel capacities go as high as 55,000 pounds. The company also produces factory-made parts.
- Year founded: 1947
- Revenue: $406 million
- Website: https://www.hyundaiforkliftamericas.com/
- Types of forklifts: Electric trucks, stand-up riders, and rough-terrain trucks
14. Combilift
Combilift is the world’s largest manufacturer of multi-directional forklifts.
The company carries a line that includes 23 multidirectional lifts, 10 multidirectional side loaders, 4 articulated forklifts, and 7 pedestrian stackers. Power options include diesel, electric, and LPG. Combilift exports to more than 85 countries and has more than 60,000 trucks in use globally.
- Year founded: 1998
- Revenue: $366 million
- Website: https://combilift.com/us/
- Types of forklifts: Articulated trucks, multidirectional trucks, pedestrian stackers, poultry, and side loaders
15. Lonking
Lonking, based in China, makes equipment in four categories: forklifts, excavators, loaders, and road machinery. Altogether, they have more than 500 models.
When it comes to forklifts, Lonking boasts yearly sales of 40,000. It offers diesel, electric, and LPG lifts. Electric and LPG lift capacities go as high as 7,700 pounds, with diesel lift capacities ranging up to 55,000 pounds. Lonking has distributor networks in the Americas, Asia-Pacific region, Middle East, and Africa.
- Year founded: 1993
- Revenue: $343 million
- Website: https://www.lonkinggroup.com/
- Types of forklifts: Electric trucks, LPG trucks, and diesel trucks
16. EP
China-based EP Equipment is the largest manufacturer of electric pallet trucks worldwide and the market leader in lithium ion technology.
In 2020, EP launched the first IC forklift replacement in the industry: Model EFL302. It reached a milestone the previous year by shipping more than 100,000 units. EP’s line includes 13 electric lifts and 2 diesel lifts, as well as 4 reach trucks.
- Year founded: 1993
- Revenue: $359 million
- Website: https://ep-ep.com/
- Types of forklifts: Pallet jacks, electric pallet trackers, electric trucks, IC trucks, order pickers, tow tractors, and reach trucks
17. Godrej & Boyce
Godrej & Boyce is India’s largest manufacturer of lift trucks. Its line of equipment includes electric forklifts, industrial stackers, reach trucks, diesel forklifts, side loaders, and attachments.
Godrej & Boyce ranks as the 25th largest forklift manufacturer in the world. The company offers pre-owned as well as new equipment. It exports its products to more than 40 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Europe.
- Year founded: 1963
- Revenue: $60.6 million
- Website: https://www.godrej.com/godrejandboyce/
- Types of forklifts: Pallet jacks, reach truck, stackers, aisle truck, side loader, and order pickers
18. CAT Lift Trucks
CAT is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of forklift trucks in the world, with a network of dealers across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
CAT (short for Caterpillar) carries electric, diesel, and LPG-powered forklifts. Its electric lifts can maneuver in tight spaces and lift to heights of 23 feet. Diesel lifts feature capacities ranging from 4,400 to 22,000 pounds. CAT has dealers around the world, including in the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific.
- Year founded: 1963
- Revenue: $5 million
- Website: https://www.catlifttruck.com/
- Types of forklifts: Pallet jacks, reach truck, stackers, aisle truck, side loader, and order pickers
19. Sany
Sany, another major manufacturer based in China, is the world’s third-largest manufacturer of heavy equipment.
The company offers forklifts with load capacities ranging from 28,000 to 70,000 pounds. It also offers an array of construction equipment ranging from cranes to road machinery and mining and tunneling equipment.
- Year founded: 1989
- Revenue: $16 billion
- Website: https://www.sanyamerica.com/
- Types of forklifts: Pallet jacks, reach truck, stackers, aisle truck, side loader, and order pickers
20. Noblelift Intelligent Equipment
Noblelift Intelligent Equipment is China’s leading manufacturer of Class 1/2/3 and the leading manufacturer for material handling equipment worldwide.
Noblelift has a line of eight three- and four-wheel forklifts. It also carries reach trucks, pallet trucks, electric stackers, lifting platforms, drum stackers, and table stackers. The company features global sales of 1.02 million trucks and generated more than $350 million in revenue in 2017.
- Year founded: 2000
- Revenue: $150 million
- Website: https://www.noblelift.com/
- Types of forklifts: Reach trucks, pallet trucks, and electric stackers
21. Guangxi Liugong Machinery Co., Ltd
A leading manufacturer of construction machinery, Liugong offers an array of products including forklifts, dozers, cranes, graders, and wheel loaders.
The company has more than 300 dealers in 100-plus countries on 6 continents. Its line of products includes 6 CLG-series electric forklifts and 13 internal combustion forklift models.
- Year founded: 1958
- Revenue: $94 million
- Website: https://www.liugong.com/en
- Types of forklifts: Electric truck, tow tractor, IC truck, reach trucks, and pallet trucks
22. Hubtex
Hubtex offers a line of products including multidirectional forklifts and side loaders to North American markets.
The company’s multidirectional side loaders facilitate warehousing and travel along very narrow aisles. Hubtex offers four lines of electric multidirectional side loaders. It also supplies custom-built industrial trucks and has a presence in the steel, aerospace, and automotive industries.
- Year founded: 1981
- Revenue: $72 million
- Website: https://www.hubtex.com/en-us
- Types of forklifts: Sideloaders, electric trucks, pallet trucks, and multidirectional forklifts,
23. Hiab
Hiab specializes in truck-mounted forklifts and launched the first all-electric, three-wheel-drive truck-mounted lift. In addition to forklifts, Hiab carries a line of cranes, skip loaders, cable hoists, and hooklifts.
The company offers eight models in its MOFFETT series, with lifting capacities ranging from 2,600-plus pounds to just over 7,700 pounds. The electric MOFFETTs feature zero emissions and low noise levels, helping the company solidify its position as a leading provider of sustainable material-handling solutions.
- Year founded: 1944
- Revenue: $1 billion
- Website: https://www.hiab.com/en
- Types of forklifts: Truck-mounted, rough terrain trucks, poultry, and electric trucks
24. Kalmar
Kalmar is a leader in cargo-handling equipment, as well as port automation and services. It developed the world’s first industrial straddle carrier in the 1940s and offers the widest range of cargo handling solutions to ports, terminals, and distribution centers.
Kalmar’s line of forklifts features lifting capabilities that range from 11,000 to 158,500 pounds. Its products include fully electric models capable of lifting heavy loads. One electric model has a lifting capacity of nearly 73,000 pounds.
- Year founded: 1940s
- Revenue: $1 billion
- Website: https://www.kalmarusa.com/
- Types of forklifts: Electric trucks and rough-terrain trucks
25. Hoist Material Handling
Hoist Material Handling specializes in high-capacity lift trucks. The company’s forklifts are manufactured in the United States and boast capacities ranging from 15,000 to 125,000 pounds.
Hoist has been in the material handling industry for 95 years. Mention that each of their lift trucks are forged in the USA. Its line of equipment includes electric and internal combustion lifts with cushion and pneumatic tires.
- Year founded: 1918
- Revenue: $59 million
- Website: https://www.godrej.com/godrejandboyce/
- Types of forklifts: Pallet jacks, reach truck, stackers, aisle truck, side loader, and order pickers
Conclusion
From lifts with electric motors to rough-terrain forklifts, the world’s top manufacturers offer a vast selection of high-quality options. Once you know the brands that manufacture forklifts and what they have to offer, you can select one that’s right for your particular project.
If you only need a lift on a temporary basis, consider renting a forklift. BigRentz offers a great selection of models from which to choose.
