Forklift Exchange is one of the most trusted authorized dealers for Hoist Material Handling forklifts in the United States — and our relationship with the brand goes back to where it all began.
A Shared History: The Flaska Family and Hoist Material Handling
Hoist Material Handling (formerly Hoist Liftruck) and Forklift Exchange share a uniquely intertwined history, having operated in close partnership for nearly 25 years under the leadership of the Flaska family.
Over 40 years ago, Marty Flaska left technical college to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions, starting out of his garage with a background in forklift repair. In 1980, Marty and his younger brother Mike co-founded Forklift Exchange, which rapidly grew from a garage startup into a nationwide equipment operation with hundreds of machines and locations across the country.
Building Hoist Liftruck from the Ground Up
As Forklift Exchange’s wholesale business expanded, Marty moved operations to a larger facility in Addison, Illinois. In 1994, he acquired the rights to the cushion tire forklift line of Silent Hoist & Crane Company — a Brooklyn, New York-based manufacturer originally founded in 1918 and a pioneer in the forklift manufacturing industry for decades. Their landmark FKS design, created in 1958 for Alcoa to handle aluminum products, became the foundation for what Marty rebranded as Hoist Liftruck Manufacturing.
The venture grew quickly. By 1998, demand necessitated a move to a larger facility in Bedford Park, Illinois, where Hoist unveiled its second forklift model — the Titan Series.
Expanding the Hoist Forklift Product Line
In 2000, Marty acquired the rights to Elwell-Parker, the Cleveland, Ohio-based company credited with designing the world’s first electric forklift, further cementing Hoist’s standing as a serious force in material handling equipment manufacturing. That same year, he added Clark’s CDP line, followed by the Auto Lift rights in 2001.
The 2000s were defined by rapid innovation:
Throughout this period, Forklift Exchange served as a national dealer for Hoist, creating a powerful vertical integration — allowing the Flaska family to sell Hoist forklifts direct to end users and back them with full aftermarket support.
Hoist and Toyota: A New Chapter
In 2014, Hoist entered the extendable counterweight market with the FR Series. The following year, Toyota Material Handling U.S.A. entered into an exclusive private label agreement with Hoist to produce the THD product line — a major validation of Hoist’s engineering capabilities. The T-Series Terminal Tractor followed in 2017.
In 2015, Hoist relocated for the third time to a state-of-the-art 550,000 square foot manufacturing facility in East Chicago, Indiana, built from the ground up with a modern assembly line and staffed by over 400 employees.
After nearly 25 years of building Hoist into one of North America’s premier heavy-duty forklift manufacturers, the Flaska family sold Hoist Liftruck to Toyota Industries North America in 2019. Under new ownership, the company rebranded as Hoist Material Handling Inc., continuing to manufacture heavy-duty forklifts and material handling equipment.
Forklift Exchange: Your Authorized Hoist Material Handling Dealer
When the Hoist sale was finalized, the Flaska family returned their full focus to Forklift Exchange. Over the next five years, the company grew from 2 to over 100 employees and evolved from a buyer and seller of new and used forklifts into a full-scale national equipment dealer, service provider, parts supplier, and the #1 source for marina forklifts in North America.
Today, Forklift Exchange partners with a portfolio of leading brands — including Hoist Material Handling, T-Series Yard Boss, Marina Truck Sales, Royal Parts Sales, Royal RIG-N-LIFT, and Loadmac — continuing the Flaska family’s decades-long spirit of innovation in the material handling industry.
Looking for a Hoist forklift? You’ve come to the right place. With direct roots in the brand’s founding and decades of hands-on expertise, no dealer knows Hoist Material Handling better than Forklift Exchange.