Hyster Company Founded in 1929
Hyster Company was founded in Portland, Oregon in 1929. In 37 years of operation, the company has grown from a small manufacturer into an international organization with facilities throughout the free world. World-wide manufacturing and marketing activities are directed from tiie home offices in Portland. Hyster operates plants in Peoria, Danville, and Kewanee, Brazil, Scotland, The Netherlands, Canada and Australia. A new plant facility is under construction in Belgium and another is planned for South Africa In addition, Hyster products are manufactured under license England, France and the Philippine Islands. Sales of Hyster products are accomplished through dealer organizations located in all major cities throughout the free world.
Hyster Company manufactures material handling and other equipment which includes lift trucks. Straddle Trucks, mobile yard cranes, winches, yarders. logging arches, self propelled compacters, compaction rollers and equipment-hauling trailers. Hyster Company was one of the early manufacturing firms to organize for the specific purpose of manufacturing material handling equipment. The company aimed its first products a towing winch, a logging arch and a selfpropelled Straddle Truck (or lumber carrier) for use in the logging and lumber industry The long range intent, however, was also to manufacture machines and tools to serve other industries.
Ernest G. Swigert. the current chairman of the board, was named president of the new company when It was formed in February’ of 1929. As the scope of the company operations gradually broadened to become national and then international, it went through two name changes. From Willamette Ersted Company, it became Willamette Hyster Company, and finally its present name Hyster Company. The company name, Hyster, was derived from the slang word, "hyst,” a Pacific Northwest colloquialism meaning especially in the logging industry 'Ho hoist.M Hyster was first used as a trade name for an early tractor hoist, or winch. It was later chosen as the company name, because of its simplicity.
In 1936, a Hyster parts depot and finished products warehouse was established in Peoria, Illinois, for a close-by source of Hyster parts and products. Then too, the market for Hyster tractor products had expanded into the middle-eastern and eastern parts of the United States and, to some extent, into export areas. Hyster is one of the few heavy machinery manufacturers to expand from the west to the east Within a short time, the need for a complete manufacturing facility in Peoria for Hyster was indicated and a full-equipped plant was established.
Prompted by customer demand in the sawmill industry of the Pacific Northwest, Hyster entered the lift truck business in 1936 Following Pearl Harbor, Hyster joined the high-speed, but controlled frenzy of war production. Because every Hyster product was in demand either by the NEW DEPARTMENT. The tool crib is a new department added a year ago to the machine shop at Hyster Co. tor furnishing and maintaining tools. William Kennedy, right, supervisor, is shown with Earl Brasel.
Officials Await Formal Dedication Of New Building
The top officials of the new Kewanee plant of the Hyster Company are shown at the main entrance to the new plant offices as the company gets ready for formal dedication ceremonies to be held Wednesday, Oct. 1?, From the right are Dean Poison, plant manager and Gaylord Gamble, factory manager and at the door is Douglas Lay, office manager. Officials from the company's home office in Portland, Ore., as well as officials from other Hyster plants will be on hand for the dedication.
Aerial View of H yster Plant During Construction
(Continued from Faff 2) Aerial View of H yster Plant During Construction ** Photo by John T. Brady Jr. military or for war production purposes, the company was plunged 100 per cent into the war effort. Following the war, in 1946, a modern industrial truck manufacturing plant was established in Danville. The domestic industrial truck sales headquarters, which handles distribution in the United States and Canada, was also located later in Danville. Hyster s international manufacturing and marketing activities have kept pace with its needs. Its export department, established in 1944, has had a carefully planned growth pattern. Activities of the International Operations are directed from Portland.
Because of the many apparent
merchandising' and manufacturing advantages, Hyster Company and the Martin Machinery Company at Kewanee, effected a merger in 1958 As an important segment of Hyster’s Tractor Operations, the Kewanee plant manufactures high-quality, heavy-duty trailers used for the transportation of tractors, construction machinery and other heavy equipment. A new $3,500,000 plant at Kewanee contains 220,000 square feet of space and will add significantly to the production of lift trucks, compaction equipment and trailers during 1966.
Accelerated demand for all Hyster Company products has resulted in other stepped up growth of manufacturing and marketing facilities during the past few years. Overseas, plant expansions at Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Irvine, Scotland, and Ipswich. England provided the company with considerable more capacity. Domestically, modernization of office facilities at Peoria and completion of a large parts depot at Danville have further enhanced the company’s position as a major factor in the industry. At Portland, further expansions are planned and under way The company's proving ground area and testing facilities are being increased tenfold, and additional Portland Plant space was obtained through acquisition of adjacent properties during 1965. The company’s operation in Toronto, Canada is now undergoing substantial expansion.
Acceptance of Hyster products by business and industry throughout the world continues to parallel the growth of manufacturing Wid marketing facilities. In 1965, Mies reached $127,000,000, as Mtmpared to $99,500,000 in 1964.
Assistant Officer Is Appointed
HaTver J. Murray has been appointed assistant secretary-treasurer of Hysler Company, according to an announcement by W B. Morrow, controller and assistant secretary-treasurer. Morrow also announced that Douglas M. Nicholson has been appointed assistant treasurer and Robert Shapton has joined the company as manager of financial research. Murray joined Hyster Company in 1947 in the accounting department and was named chief accountant in 1952. In 1958 he was appointed assistant treasurer.
Nicholson, a certified public accountant. was graduated from the University of Oregon in 1951 and immediately joined the accounting firm of Peat. Marwick, Mitchell Co. He later became a partner in the firm. Shapton has had considerable experience in market research with Evans Products Company tod cost analysis with General Etectrk Company. Hyster Company is a worldwide manufacturer of lift trucks, compaction equipment and heavy duty equipment hauling trailer's. World headquarters are located in Portland. Ore. One of the major plants is in Kewanee.