Hello Marko R,

You are definitely right concerning the quality of Kaup product, specially concerning the sideshifters, double and triple pallet handlers etc.

I've been working for Linde in Poland for 14 years on management level, been in the factory 70-80 times. Till today I am befriended with several people up there. The information about high costs factor related to location goes directly from them.

Bolzoni in Poland (practically it's Auramo + Bolzoni) has been started and is led succesfully till today by one of the former Linde salesman.
Cascade in Poland is led by another former Linde salesman.
When they were with Linde I trained them on aftersales issues.
I know them both very well and respect them both and do not favorize any of them.
The same applies to people from Meyer, Durwen, Kaup, Atib etc.
This is a closed circle of people.

You are right, Cascade had some personal issues (in Poland too, that's why one of my friends is leading them now) after several years of stable team work.

From my local experience I cannot confirm, that Kaup, Cascade or Auramo offer definitely better service than other.
Service network is generally outsourced (my company supports some of the companies) availability of product and parts are comparable. What distinguishes the companies are the prices.

Yes, you are right about strong price orientation in Poland, but tell me where is the country, that nobody cares about the prices.
I'll go there immediately and start the bussines there ;-)

You are surely aware, that direct sales of attachments through the subsidiaries is rather low. Main volume comes on the market with the trucks. And it's up to the truck companies, which attachment they sell with their product.
Linde sold Kaup, than Bolzoni, than Kaup again, Still, Jungheinrich etc are mostly equipped with Cascade.

All the main brands have the similar respect here, but everybody, specially now, is counting money. And when on spare parts area, the pricing policy is similar, the prices of the new attachment differ strongly.
And from the Big 4 (Kaup, Cascade, Meyer, Auramo), Kaup has the most expensive product on the market concerning the standard attachments.