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Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks Responds to Industry Changes

20 October 1998

Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks Responds to Industry Changes, Introduces Largest New Product Line In Company History

    HOUSTON, Oct. 19 -- Forklift operators are assuming a new
role as forklift manufacturers battle for what has become the hottest segment
of the material handling industry.
    Gone are the days when management alone decided on the brands of forklifts
to purchase.  Today, forklift operators are helping participate in the multi-
million dollar decisions companies make when they purchase anywhere from two
to 2,000 units.
    As a result of this newly found emphasis on the forklift operator,
Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks has announced what the company describes as the
most complete new product introduction in its history.  The roll-out follows
years of field tests, interviews with end-users and studies of forklift
operator habits, says Roger Arras, Vice President, Customer Support.
    "Nobody has looked harder at the issues that impact operator productivity
-- comfort, ergonomics and reliability," says Arras.  "We went out and talked
to thousands of operators.  Plus, we examined their work habits to determine
what they needed to be more productive."
    The company's redesigned 3,000-6,000 lb. capacity cushion tire forklifts,
for example, came about following visits to warehouse operations where
Mitsubishi Forklift Truck engineers witnessed paper cups and cans taped to
trucks for pens, pencils and markers and clip boards welded to trucks or left
to dangle from hoods.  Clipboards even were found jammed into truck cooling
vents.
    Other new products being introduced by the company with an emphasis on
operator conveniences, comfort and productivity include:

    -- its first-ever 3,000-5,000 lb. capacity electric counterbalanced stand-
       up end-control model for use on docks and narrow-aisle retail
       applications;
    -- a new family of 7,000-15,500 lb. capacity cushion tire forklift trucks
       equipped with a more spacious operator compartment, large open steps
       and a grab bar for easy on-off access; and
    -- new 3,000-4,000 lb. capacity three-wheel sit-down counterbalanced
       forklift trucks for use in warehouse settings.

    "In a sense, the operator has become an extended member of our product
development team," adds Arras.  "That says quite a bit about how our industry
has changed."