Unicar Spa Hyster-yale

What Unicar Spa Hyster-yale does

Unicar S.p.A. is a privately held Italian material handling company founded in 1992 in Nibionno (Lecco) by the Spreafico family. It operates as the exclusive Italian importer and distributor of Yale (since 1992) and Hyster (since May 2024) forklift trucks, and owns Carer (acquired 2013), an Italian manufacturer of high-capacity electric forklifts up to 25 tons serving defense, aerospace, and nuclear decommissioning end markets via its SPED engineering department. The company sells and rents new and used equipment and provides after-sales service through 8 direct branches, 40+ regional dealers/partners, and a workforce of 220+ technicians and consultants across Italy, backed by 42,000 m² of operational space and a 24-hour spare parts delivery commitment yielding a reported 99% customer satisfaction index.

The revenue model combines four streams: new equipment sales of Hyster, Yale, and Carer products (one-time); flexible short- and long-term rentals for seasonal or temporary needs (recurring); after-sales service and original spare parts delivered within 24 hours (services); and certified refurbished used equipment under the 'We Used' program (one-time). Customer segments are enterprise-focused across industrial manufacturing, logistics and distribution, and heavy industry/special applications, with a dedicated major-account program managing complex multi-site logistics projects for multinational industrial groups. Distribution is exclusively through Italian channels (direct branches plus regional concessionaries such as Manitech, General Tractor Italia, Pidicar, Storo Diesel, and others), with no documented geographic expansion outside Italy.

The company's market positioning is built on the broadest product range in the European material handling market across three complementary brands, exclusive distribution rights, in-house manufacturing capability for specialized electric forklifts, and a full lifecycle service offering. There is no indication of external venture capital or private equity involvement; the company remains under family ownership and control.

Name

Unicar Spa Hyster-yale

Legal name

Unicar S.p.A.

Website

https://www.unicar-hy.it

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Unicar S.p.A. is an Italian importer, distributor, and service provider for Hyster and Yale material handling equipment, also owning Carer electric forklifts, serving enterprise industrial and logistics customers across Italy through 8 branches and 40+ dealers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Material Handling Equipment Distribution

NAICS

Industrial Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42383), Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423840)

SIC

Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537), Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080)

akta.pro primary industry

Loading/Unloading & Transfer Equipment (Telescopic Conveyors, Loaders, Tipplers) (IMAHABAI)

Keywords

• Material handling equipment
• Forklift truck distribution
• Industrial vehicle rental
• Warehouse logistics solutions
• After-sales forklift service

Headquarters

HQ city

Nibionno

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. New Equipment Sales: Sale of Hyster, Yale, and Carer forklift trucks including warehouse trucks, counterbalanced forklifts, and big trucks
2. Rental Services: Flexible short-term and long-term rental solutions for new or used equipment to handle seasonal peaks, temporary needs, or capital preservation
3. After-Sales Service and Spare Parts: Technical assistance with over 200 specialized technicians, original spare parts with 24-hour delivery, and maintenance services
4. Certified Used Equipment: Refurbished equipment from official reconditioning programs, certified and rebuilt to strict technical standards

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Unicar S.p.A. imports, distributes, rents, and services Hyster, Yale, and Carer brand forklift trucks and material handling equipment throughout Italy. The company sells new counterbalanced forklifts, warehouse trucks, electric forklifts, and heavy-duty big trucks, while also offering short- and long-term rentals, certified used equipment, and a 200+ technician after-sales service network with 24-hour original spare parts delivery.

Product overview

Unicar Spa is an Italian distributor and importer of forklift trucks representing three brands: Yale (since 1992), Hyster (since May 2024), and Carer (since 2013). The company offers the widest product range in the European market, from Yale warehouse pallet trucks to Hyster big trucks and Carer electric forklifts with capacities up to 25 tons. Their service portfolio includes post-sale assistance with over 200 technicians, spare parts delivery within 24 hours, flexible rental solutions, and certified used equipment programs. The company operates through 8 direct branches and 40 dealers/partners across Italy, serving major industrial accounts with technical support and dedicated services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Unicar Hyster: Specialized network for Hyster forklift sales, rental and service in Italy
• Unicar Yale
• Carer
• We Used

Products and services

• Hyster Forklift Trucks

Quantifiable outcome

• Customer Satisfaction Index of 99%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and regional.

• Hyster (Hyster-Yale Materials Handling)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 May 2024Exclusive Italian dealer for Hyster forklift trucks since May 2024, with specialized network for sales, rental, and service across all operational areas. Hyster is a world reference brand for heavy-duty forklift applications.
• Carer (Spreafico family)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Acquired in 2013, Carer represents the industrial and technological vocation of the Spreafico family with world leadership in custom electric forklift projects up to 25 tons. Manufactured in Cotignola, Ravenna province.
• Yale (Hyster-Yale Materials Handling)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1992Exclusive Italian dealer for Yale forklift trucks since 1992, offering complete warehouse and counterbalanced forklift range supported by recognized rapid and competent after-sales service.
• Osservatorio Contract Logistics Gino Marchet - Politecnico di MilanominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participant in the Osservatorio research forum contributing to the most important national dialogue on intralogistics innovation.
• ManitechregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConcessionario Unicar for Yale forklift trucks in Sardegna, celebrating 10 years of partnership with sustained growth supporting the Yale dealer network in Italy.
• General Tractor ItaliaregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional dealer partner for Unicar Hyster-Yale products in Abruzzo region.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Toyota Material Handling Europe: European arm of the world's largest forklift OEM, directly competing with Unicar's Hyster/Yale/Carer offering across counterbalanced and warehouse forklift lines in Italy, with a comparable dealer-and-direct-service model.
• Linde Material Handling (KION Group): Premium European forklift brand and KION subsidiary competing head-to-head in Italy's counterbalanced and warehouse segments with a strong direct sales and service network similar to Unicar's Hyster-Yale operation.
• STILL (KION Group): European intralogistics brand within the KION family, overlapping with Unicar in warehouse trucks, counterbalanced forklifts, and integrated service contracts across Italian industrial customers.
• Jungheinrich: Major European intralogistics provider selling forklifts, warehouse equipment, and fleet management; competes with Unicar's Hyster/Yale/Carer portfolio through its own Italian dealer and direct operations.
• Crown Equipment: US-headquartered material handling OEM with growing European presence, competing in the same warehouse and counterbalanced forklift categories that Unicar sells through its Yale and Hyster franchises.

Broad incumbents

• Manitou Group: French material handling and aerial-work-equipment manufacturer with broader product scope than forklifts alone; relevant benchmark because it shares industrial distribution, dealer-network, and aftermarket service economics with Unicar.
• KION Group: Parent of Linde, STILL, and Fenwick; a much larger listed incumbent that combines multiple forklift brands with software-led intralogistics—an obvious structural benchmark and a key competitive force in the Italian material handling market.

Emerging players

• Hangcha Group: Chinese forklift manufacturer rapidly expanding across Europe with competitively priced IC and electric forklifts, threatening Unicar's price point in standard warehouse and counterbalanced segments in Italy.
• EP Equipment: Chinese-backed electric material handling specialist growing fast in European warehouse-equipment channels; relevant to Unicar because it targets the same low-intensity electric forklift niche served by Yale UX and entry-level Carer SKUs.
• Doosan Industrial Vehicles (Bobcat): Asian forklift OEM expanding in European markets with mid-tier counterbalanced and warehouse models, competing with Unicar's mass-market offerings while Hyster's heavy-duty line addresses a different sub-segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Unicar Spa Hyster-yale