Our History
For over 60 years Toyota has been at the forefront of the global materials handling market and has been a pioneer in forklift technology and a world leader in making forklifts more productive, safer and cost-effective.
1956 Toyota Industrial Equipment production begins in Japan.
1958 First export of Toyota forklifts from Japan.
1968 First Toyota forklift imported into Australia.
1985 500,000th Toyota forklift produced.
Toyota forklift production facility in Takahama, Japan
1995 One millionth Toyota forklift produced.
1996 25,000th Toyota forklift sold into Australia.
1997 Sales of Toyota forklifts exceed US$1,092 million.
1999 Worldwide Sales and Supply network covering 169 countries and 699 Dealers.
1999 30,000th Toyota forklift sold into Australia.
1999 Toyota wins National Occupational Health and Safety "Solutions Award" for its Swing-down gas bottle bracket.
2000 1.3 millionth Toyota forklift produced.
2000 Toyota acquires BT Industries, maker of BT Lift Trucks and Raymond forklifts.
Toyota's award winning swing-down gas bottle bracket
2001 Toyota combines all its lift truck operations in a single business area called Toyota Material Handling.
2003 Worldwide Sales and Supply Network covering 170 countries, 80 distributors and 675 sales outlets.
2003 Toyota Industries Corporation Australia Pty Ltd (TICA) established in Australia to distribute and sell Toyota Industrial Equipment.
2004 Toyota Industries Corporation Australia (TICA) wins TICO's 2004 Global Excellence Award.
2005 Toyota Industries Corporation Australia (TICA) is the authorised distributor of Raymond forklifts.
2006 Toyota 8-Series 1.0 - 3.5 tonne forklift released in Australia
2007 Toyota Industries Corporation Australia (TICA) changes its name to become Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA).
2008 Toyota Material Handling celebrates 40 years of retailing the Toyota Industrial Equipment brand of products within Australia.
2014 Toyota has retained its position as the world's largest supplier of forklifts, according to industry magazine DHF Intralogistik.
2018 Toyota Material Handling is Australia's Number One forklift company according to statistics released by the Australian Industrial Truck Association Ytd December 2017.
2018 Toyota Material Handling Australia celebrates half a century of forklift sales in Australia with the sale of the first Toyota forklift sold in Australia in 1968.
2019 Toyota Material Handling Australia becomes a proud distributor of the Taylor-Dunn range of burden carrier products, to complement its other range of non-forklift products such as lift platforms, scissor lifts, tow tractors, sweepers and scrubbers, and skid steer loaders.
2020 Toyota Material Handling Australia launches new division called Huski Construction Equipment, with its Huski range of skid steer loaders, scissor lifts and mini-excavators.
2021 Toyota Material Handling Australia win the 28th Annual National Safety Award of Excellence in the Category 2C: Best Solution of a WHS Risk (Large Business) with our TMHA Tyne Lifter.
2023: Australia's largest forklift rental fleet with over 30,000 forklifts available for short or long term rental periods.
2023: Toyota Material Handling Australia opens new branches in Traralgon (VIC) and Unanderra (NSW).
2023 Toyota Australian counter-balance forklift market leader for 36 consecutive years.
2023 The Toyota Material Handling Group (TMHG) – a division of Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO) – has once again seen Toyota Forklifts maintain its Number One Global brand position in the dhf Intralogistik online / magazine 2022/23 Global Forklift rankings.
Toyota forklifts celebrate 50 years of Australian sales