German lift truck maker hints at big plans to increase its presence in Related Articles

The Kion Group—owner of the Linde, Still and OM lift truck brands—is apparently making plans to increase its U.S. market share.

In an earning’s statement issued from its German headquarters last week, Kion called its current position in the U.S. market “insignificant,” and then followed up with this statement: “Kion is preparing a market offensive for the coming year, with a new U.S.-specific product line, which will set new standards of reliability and quality in the U.S. market.”

Kion representatives in both Germany and the United States declined to elaborate any further on the plans.

In a related development, the news agency Reuters reported last week that Kion is shopping for an acquisition in the United States “to complement its value OM brand” but that the company is likely having difficulty finding acquisition candidates.

Linde AG spun off the Kion Group last fall. Kion ranked second in Modern’s most recent ranking of industrial lift truck suppliers.