Bobcat makes material handling move

The D30S-9 forklift from Bobcat. (Photo: Bobcat)

Bobcat is to add to its material handling offering with the integration of its sister company Doosan Industrial Vehicle (DIV) into its operations, it has been announced. 

From January 1 the Belgium-based company, which has part of Doosan Bobcat since being acquired in 2021, will operate under the new name of Doosan Bobcat Belgium, with all forklifts and warehouse equipment from DIV to be made under the Bobcat brand. 

These include a series of diesel forklift trucks with lifting capacities from 2 to 16 tonnes, LPG forklift trucks with lifting capacities from 2 to 7 tonnes and electric forklift trucks with lifting capacities from 1.2 to 10 tonnes.

In addition, warehouse equipment from its line of pallet trucks, stackers and reach trucks will be available through the Bobcat brand.

Meanwhile, Bobcat said DIV would go through a number of changes to the tune of €2 million, including a renovation and refurbishment of its offices in the Bobcat corporate identity and an expansion and modernisation of its facilities for technical inspections, pre-delivery inspections and service, which is based at its headquarters in Sint-Niklaas.

Bobcat said the company will benefit from “extensive R&D facilities, a number of exciting machine management innovations, marketing know-how and Bobcat’s extensive dealer network”, adding that the transitions means it now has a “virtually complete portfolio of compact machines.”

Founded in 1968, DIV is currently active in more than 90 countries. It has two factories in Incheon (Korea) and Yanta (China), where it produces forklifts, and a factory in Lübben (Germany) where its pallet trucks and stackers are produced.