Celebrating a rich history while embracing a future of expanded capabilities, Hyster New Zealand marks its 80th anniversary under new ownership, promising enhanced support and greater opportunities for customers across the Tasman.

In a significant development for the materials handling industry in Oceania, Hyster New Zealand is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2025 with its acquisition by the Australian-based Adaptalift Group. This move unites a long-standing New Zealand presence with a major regional equipment supplier, signaling a new era of enhanced service and product offerings for customers. 

Hyster's presence in New Zealand dates back to 1945, when Gough Materials Handling, then part of the Gough Group, began selling Hyster liftrucks. The brand became a fixture in ports, warehouses, and industrial sites across the country. The business underwent a change in 2019 when Malaysia’s Sime Darby acquired the Gough Group, which led to the rebranding of the materials handling division to Hyster NZ in 2020. 

In early 2025, Sime Motors finalized the sale of Hyster NZ to the Adaptalift Group, a major equipment distributor headquartered in Sydney that also represents brands like Yale and Combilift.

Adaptalift Group CEO, Steven Taylor, expressed confidence in the acquisition, calling Hyster New Zealand "a strong business with deep customer relationships, great technical expertise, and a nationwide footprint". Taylor emphasized that the group's immediate priority is ensuring business continuity and maintaining high service levels for all customers. "We want to develop a deep understanding of where we can best add value to existing customers — through product knowledge, technology solutions, and access to a wide parts inventory," he stated.

Ryan Hosking, New Zealand Manager for Adaptalift Group, reinforced this customer-first approach. “At Adaptalift Group, we’re constantly asking: How can we deliver better outcomes, where can we remove complexity and what else can we do to help our customers win?”. This strategic acquisition not only celebrates Hyster's 80-year legacy in New Zealand but also positions the brand for a dynamic future of growth and expanded service under a unified trans-Tasman banner.