1967

Anton Lisman senior (1914 – 2005†) founded Lisman Vorkheftrucks BV. at Voordorpsedijk in Fort Blauwkapel (Utrecht). The first employee also started work in this year. The aim for the company is to run a retail and service business in new and used forklift trucks.

1968

Anton Lisman junior (current Shareholder Director at Lisman Forklift Trucks) joins the company after completing IVA Autoschool in Driebergen.

1972

Jos Lisman, the older brother of Anton, initially works in the automobile industry following his Car Engineering studies at technical college. He has supported Lisman Forklift Trucks with the development of international trading activities since the company was founded. In 1972 Jos officially joins the company as a director together with his younger brother and father. In this same year Lisman moves to Jekerstraat in the centre of Utrecht.

1977

Lisman makes, as it appears later, a strategic investment in a gigantic IBM computer. This makes Lisman the first European trading company to build an up-to-date database of the global lifttruck market by brand interest. Partly thanks to this information, purchasing opportunities are created from early insights into importers’ and dealers’ surplus equipment. Based on this marketing information, Lisman can also observe where there is demand for what type of machines.

1985

Lisman buys a sizable number of heavy machines from Sweden, which there appears to be great demand for in other parts of the world. This deal lays the financial basis for the company expansion which follows. More and more investments are made in supplying machines from Japan which are primarily sold on in Europe.

1986

After small-scale editions by direct mail, ‘Lifttruck News’ is developed. Lisman starts to circulate full colour mailings periodically around the world, targeting the purchasing profile of international dealers.

1987

Lisman grows too big for Utrecht and moves to Techniekweg in IJsselstein, where they have premises with a surface area of 15,000 m2. Gert Versteeg, who joined Lisman shortly before as general manager, joins the board of directors.

1992

Lisman expands its range with warehouse trucks and rough terrain forklift trucks and telescopic platforms. The strategic decision is also taken to only trade with dealers and not end-users.

1995

Lisman expands its purchasing strategy and, as well as the purchasing of used machines in the Far East, focuses more actively on purchasing surplus machine fleets from OEMs within the European Union.

1999

Koen Lisman (son of Jos) joins the company and sets up a separate purchasing department. Prior to this, for three years following on from his studies in Business Administration, Koen provided commercial management to Rentpower in Utrecht, importer of GS and Fiamm traction batteries, which was formerly part of the family company.

2004

Jos transfers the directorship and his shares to his son Koen, who then manages the company together with Shareholder Director Anton and director Gert Versteeg.
Lisman adds access equipment to its range.

2005

Because of expansion, Lisman builds a second company premises, with a surface areas of 4,500 m2 for extra storage capacity, in the existing industrial park. Lisman has a second showroom (the C-hall) at these premises on Archimedesstraat.

2008

Gert Versteeg leaves the board of governors and Bob Backers joins Lisman as Operations Manager. Prior to this, Bob worked in various logistics and financial functions at Shell and Ahold.

2009

Jos Lisman and Gert Versteeg leave the company to enjoy retirement.
Lisman builds its third business property (the B-hall) close to the two other premises, on Kamerlingh Onneslaan. A building with 7,000 m2 floor space is created, with covered storage capacity of 6,000 m2, including loft space. This provides Lisman with it third showroom.

2012

Lisman opens its Asian branch, Lisman Forklifts Asia Sdn Bhd, near Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

As in Lisman Vorkheftrucks in The Netherlands, professionals in the industry can find an excellent variety of high quality stock of more than 300 units of material handling equipment and aerial platforms within the Lisman Asia premises. All sales ready to be shipped anywhere in South East Asia