Coming off three tough years, narrow-aisle trucks are now into the comeback phase, says Jim Malvaso, president and CEO of Raymond Corp.( www.raymondcorp.com).

Calling the first half of 2004 "pretty exciting" in an exclusive interview with Modern Materials Handling , he said the pickup that started a year ago will put narrow-aisle trucks 8 to 10% ahead for 2004. He projects that sales of all lift trucks will advance comparably this year. Raymond also supplies walkie and counterbalanced trucks.

Malvaso says the most active areas for narrow-aisle trucks are grocery, home building supply, automotive and pharmaceutical. In addition, five-year leases written in the industry's best years are ending. "We're coming into that cycle and companies are especially interested in the new technology out there," says Malvaso.

For instance, half of the Raymond reach trucks sold today use AC power technology. "AC has taken off more quickly than we expected," he says.

Looking to the future, Malvaso cites fuel cells as a possible future replacement for traditional lead acid batteries. While fuel cell technology is technically feasible, practicality and costs are still being scrutinized carefully.

He says there's a three-way courtship underway between fuel cell suppliers, lift truck manufacturers and end users. "I think we're dancing. And we may make beautiful music. But I just don't know how it's going to go at this point," he says.

The need to meet end-user performance requirements is another challenge today, adds Malvaso. While narrow-aisle trucks are now capable of 442-inch lift heights, he foresees heights over 500 inches. Getting there is going to require suppliers of lift trucks as well as components such as lift pumps and motors to develop new capabilities.