Load handling equipment provider Hiab will establish a second production facility in Streetsboro, Ohio, for its Moffett and Princeton truck-mounted forklifts, where the company currently makes tail lifts, sold under the Waltco brand.

Hiab’s Moffett truck-mounted forklifts. Photo by LP Gas staff

It will also develop a new factory of the future in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland, for its truck-mounted forklift manufacturing operations. When operational in 2023, the new facility will replace Hiab’s existing Dundalk facility.

With record global demand for its truck-mounted forklifts, according to Hiab, the company will recruit 80 new employees to add to the current workforce of 100 at its Streetsboro facility, providing additional capacity for its truck-mounted forklift production in Ireland.

“The establishment of a second facility for the production of truck-mounted forklifts in Ohio is to deliver high-volume manufacturing capacity for the U.S. market,” says Rogier van der Linde, senior vice president for truck-mounted forklifts at Hiab. “We will start recruitment immediately, and the majority of the roles are for a new supply chain team, general operators with mechanical skills, in addition to support roles in manufacturing, engineering, R&D engineering, quality, warehousing and planning. While our new Dundalk facility will continue to produce machines for the U.S. market, it will also have additional focus and capacity to meet accelerating demand in our growing European markets and around the world.”

By having the new facility in Ohio, van der Linde adds, Hiab will be able to service many of its U.S. customers without having to ship machines across the Atlantic Ocean.

“With the increased demand for our truck-mounted forklift products in the U.S., we are extremely excited to begin manufacturing units here in Ohio,” adds Jim Oreck, vice president of sales and services for North America. “This will allow us to provide reduced lead times to our customers, additional capacity for growth, and reduce our CO2 impact associated with transportation.”

Hiab, part of Cargotec Corp., provides equipment for the propane industry, including cranes and, more recently, a hydraulic-controlled tank clamp attachment for the Moffett truck-mounted forklift.

Its customers range from single-truck owner-operators and small fleet owners to international fleet and rental companies, across private and public sectors. Its products also serve a range of industries, including construction, waste management, recycling, forestry, fire rescue, agriculture and landscaping.