Straddling the divide

摘要

The last 12 months have been extremely eventful for the straddle carrier sector with record sales for the big three manufacturers, Sweden-based Kalmar, German-based Noell and Dutch-based Nelcon. On 20 December 2000, Kalmar the market leader announced it is to acquire Nelcon, the third largest manufacturer of straddle carriers. The deal has a number of implications and looks likely to stimulate changes both in price and technology. Meanwhile, the imminent launch of Kalmar's shuttle carrier (see box story) may well add a new dimension to the industry.