"Little overlap makes for a perfect fit"
February 1st 2008 Much has happened in the materials
handling industry in the 50 years
since the first fork lift truck rolled off
the production line at Nissan. And
while many other brand names –
and ideas – have come and gone
along the way, the company
celebrates its first half century with
a clear conviction that the best is yet
to come.
That, says Brendon Sparks,
Nissan's UK director for industrial
machinery, is characterised by the
corporation's recent acquisition of
leading warehouse equipment
manufacturer Atlet.
"We have traditionally been
strong in the mainstream of the
counterbalanced market with a
permutation of more than 700
trucks. The acquisition of Atlet will
enable Nissan to expand its sales
from 2008 with a very strong
product offer."
The plan is interesting. Far from
bringing Atlet within the Nissan
brand, the stated intention is to
retain separate identities in the
market where each is strong while
taking advantage of joint
representation. "Little overlap makes
for a perfect fit," says Brendon,
whose Nissan operation in the UK
has been working with Atlet for
some five years.
For Nissan, that "perfect fit"
translates into the opportunity to
target a European marketplace of
180,000 warehouse units - and to
introduce it to Nissan's core
counterbalanced business.
For the Atlet product, it is an
opportunity to benefit from the size,
strength and support of Nissan in
areas such as advanced product
development and through cost
reduction in areas that include joint
purchasing and the sharing of
development resources.
"It is the recognition of our fork
lift business as a core product area
for the future that has led Nissan to
invest in the acquisition of Atlet,"
says Sparks, "and it is through our
automotive connection that
customers of both the Nissan
Forklift and Atlet warehouse brands
will benefit." More articles from Nissan Motor (GB) Limited: | 
