Coming off their best year ever in 2000, suppliers of industrial lift trucks are clearly feeling the pinch of the current economic slowdown, according to numbers released by the Industrial Truck Association (ITA).

Last year, just over 205,000 lift trucks were sold in the U.S. and Canada. The ITA’s "guesstimate" for total sales in 2001 is just under 162,000 units, a 21% decline, says Larry Wuench, president of ITA and executive vice president of Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America.

"The downturn is due in considerable degree to a drop off in the rental business," says Wuench. Looking ahead to 2002, Wuench expects lift truck sales to clear 175,000 units.