Sime Motors NZ has announced the sale of its heavy equipment subsidiary Hyster New Zealand to Australian-owned Adaptalift Group for an undisclosed amount.
The company says the unconditional sale and purchase agreement is scheduled to be complete on February 28.
Hyster NZ has been the national dealer for Hyster lift trucks since 1945. According to its website, it has a team of 60 technical specialists working from 14 branches and depots nationwide.
“When our parent company, Sime Darby Berhad acquired Toyota forklifts as part of the global purchase of UMW at the end of 2023, it had a downstream impact on our dealership agreement with Hyster Yale in New Zealand,” Sime commercial sales NZ general manager Michael Doeg says.
“We invested a lot of time selecting the right business to take Hyster New Zealand forward, with a key focus on offering attractive terms of employment for employees and a clear vision for the future. Adaptalift was the right fit on both counts,” he says.
Adaptalift is Australia’s largest privately owned and operated forklift company and has been the sole dealer for Hyster Yale in Australia since 2009.
The family-owned business sells and leases forklifts, elevated work platforms and telemetry systems. It opened its first New Zealand branch in East Tamaki two years ago.
“Since early 2024, our businesses have been working closely together to plan and execute a smooth transition,” Doeg says.
“This is the start of an exciting new phase for Hyster New Zealand.”
Adaptalift chief executive Steven Taylor says he’s excited to welcome the whole Hyster NZ team to Adaptalift.
“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.
“Hyster New Zealand is a strong business with deep customer relationships, great technical expertise and a nationwide footprint.
“Our initial focus is on supporting business continuity, working closely with the team and customers to ensure service levels are maintained and optimised,” Taylor says.
