Linde spins off lift trucks

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 10/1/2006

Linde has taken a significant step toward divesting itself of its materials handling business. The company has grouped its three materials handling brands—Linde, Still and OM—into a new holding company, the Kion Group.

"Linde is separating their material handling business from their industrial gases business, and to do that, they've set up this umbrella company, the Kion Group," explains Mark Rossler, general product manager for Linde Material Handling North America. The separation will be complete, he says, when Linde finds a buyer for the Kion Group.

The restructuring has no effect on Linde lift truck sales in North America, according to Rossler. "We retain our name as Linde Material Handling North America," he says. "Even after the company is sold, we'll still have rights to use the Linde name and logo."

The Kion Group's five-year goal is to become "the benchmark for the material handling industry, ahead of Toyota," according to a corporate presentation posted its Web site. With $4.5 billion in lift truck revenues, Linde ranked second in Modern's recent list of lift truck suppliers. Toyota ranked first with sales of $5.07 billion.