Forkliftaction.com celebrates 10th anniversary of reporting on the fork lift trucks industry

The popular materials handling internet resource Forkliftaction.com has reached a milestone; it is a decade since it first launched. In the year 2000, the materials handling world was not necessarily au fait with the relatively newfangled nature of the internet, but Forkliftaction.com took a chance and launched, bringing the world of fork lift trucks into cyberspace. Ten years later , and the site is a global hub for the exchange of information about the materials handling industry, with more than 50,000 subscribers benefiting from the services it offers.

Michael Leu founded Forkliftaction.com, and is now the executive director, and he explained the motive behind its creation:

I wanted to connect people in the industry - from east to west and from factory to farm, to let people know what was happening and where to get the best deal, spread the word about workplace safety and let the people who design and fix the machines share their knowledge with each other through the forums.


After having the idea, the implementation required a leap of faith, as Leu describes:

I remember my colleague and I going to CeMat in early 2000, just before the launch, to gauge industry opinion about the venture. It was a very mixed reaction; many in the industry didn’t trust the new technology and couldn’t see how it could help their business.

Something that helped Leu's vision become realised was the change in attitudes towards the internet, and the rapid acceleration of its use, that occurred between 2000 and 2001. People began to see the internet as an integral part of their day. Leu had been part of the forklift industry for almost 15 years, and was familiar with the various magazine publications that pertained to the sector. What he believed the internet could do was maintain the quality of the news and analysis which the magazines offered, whilst at a stroke solving the problems of speed; the dissemination of news by magazine subscription was slow and clumsy compared to the possibilities of the internet.

I was well aware of the global nature of the materials handling industry, says Leu, and how hungry for industry news its members were. I also believed the site should alert dealers to new possibilities for products and spare parts and to provide manufacturers with information about new and innovative technology, alternative component suppliers and news of organisational and marketing strategies used around the globe.

One of the fundamental precepts of Forkliftaction.com is to provide an up-to-date news service, and one which is independent and objective. The purpose of Forkliftaction.com is to treat material handling stories with an even-handed impartiality, allowing the subscribers to make their own minds up on the issues which affect them. The site launched to a mere 50 subscribers, a number which has grown to 50,000 in the ten years that it has been operational, with 120 new subscribers every week. Initially, subscriptions tended to be from manufacturers and distributors of forklifts, who were able to use the service to keep abreast of what their competitors were up to. However the last few years have seen the actual users of forklifts begin to subscribe, and in fact they now outnumber the producers.

The independent nature of the news service is crucial to Forkliftaction.com, as it prides itself on being able to report on stories with no interference. One example is the site's reporting of the news that NACCO were consolidating sales and dealers within their global network, a story which NACCO denied, before eventually confirming. Other subjects addressed by the news team have been industry litigations and legal issues, sometimes involving the biggest names in the sector, as well as important coverage of workplace accidents and tragic deaths due to lack of proper safety training and supervision. In fact, Richard.E.Higgens, the director of the US Open Forklift Rodeo and Safety Expo, said:

Forkliftaction.com can take great satisfaction in knowing that somewhere, somehow you have undoubtedly saved lives by your consistent support in promoting forklift safety.


Forkliftaction.com also reports on the positive aspects of the industry, particularly the response of the materials handling industry to the various natural disasters which have plagued the first decade of the 21st Century. The site has reported on companies such as JCB, Raymond, Komatsu, Linde and Trelleborg, who have donated equipment, expertise, time and hard currency to the relief efforts in the aftermaths of the Tsunami in Asia, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the raging bushfires in Australia, the earthquake in Haiti and the floods in Pakistan. Forkliftaction.com has also reported on the regular local charity work of firms such as Mitsubishi and Jungheinrich.


Aside from news updates, Forkliftaction.com also produces features, which are able to provide a more in-depth analysis of various salient issues within the materials handling market. The feature topics are chosen by recourse to subscribers opinions, and so are as topical and relevant as possible. The first ever feature was published in 2001, and concerned the nascent market for forklifts in China, and it was relatively small, at 550 words. The features now are nearer to 2000, and such is the reputation that Forkliftaction.com has built up, usually feature interviews with people who are absolutely key to the topic.

Forkliftaction.com works hard to remain at the forefront of the industry, with Howard Quick, the regional product manager for Linde North America, saying, if it is in Forkliftaction.com, the materials handling community is talking about it. Other industry luminaries who are regular readers include Tim Jamal, the vice-president of Jamco, who said that the site has become, the leading global news source for the materials handling industry, and Bernd Dolk, the sales manager for Raeder-Vogel, who said, with its worldwide coverage and readership, Forkliftaction.com is unique in distributing information on all aspects of materials handling to interested parties, manufacturers as well as end-users.

Terry Wickham from Keyroller cites another benefit of being a subscriber to an industry based community, saying, We were able to gain tremendous exposure for our many new products and ideas.

Michale Leu has a very clear philosophy, which he has brought to Forkliftaction.com. Customer loyalty, he says, is based on the quality of the service. We have customers who have advertised with us right from the start. Svetruck is one such company; they stay with us because Forkliftaction.com has formed strong bonds with them over the years and we offer them value and consistent results for their advertising. New customers are attracted to the website by the extensive range of services Forkliftaction.com offers.

Ann Hofmans is the site's general manager, and she agrees with Leu, observing that the site has always tried to grow in line with what its subscribers want:

Forklift businesses these days have to follow the buyer and respect the changing ways they purchase a forklift. They now do an enormous amount of research - online. The buyer wants to learn what’s on the market, what technology is available and where they can get it.

Forkliftaction.com is always evolving, always looking to improve its service, and Hofmans is keen to extol some of the changes which will be happening in the coming year, saying, Forkliftaction.com News will soon be available online with the ability to switch easily from one news story to another, between media releases and product features. There will be a mobile version of the newsletter for those subscribers who choose to receive it on their mobile phones and RSS feeds which can be used to feature Forkliftaction.com News on subscribers’ own websites. The new design of the newsletter, the improved structure and format of Forkliftaction’s news service will bring it in line with the newest internet usage by our members.

Leu's plans for the site's second decade are simple: to increase membership and visitors in all countries, through development of additional tools for users, regional news in all major economies and translation capabilities for non-English speaking countries.

There may also be an upgraded service for those who opt for a paid subscription, but that is still on the drawing board at present. It has been ten years of hard work, but also of success, and when asked if he would make the same choices again, Leu is gleefully unrepentant: Yes, indeed I would, as long as I was able to assemble such a talented and dedicated bunch of people to come with me!.