 The factory-wide celebration for Konecranes Lifttrucks' anniversary in Markaryd. |
Konecranes Lifttrucks has celebrated 20 years as a company under new management, and also its 10th anniversary under the Konecranes Group.
In 1994, nine Swedish visionaries had a dream to build forklifts "with heart". Conny Persson, Roger Persson (both of whom still work at the company), Olle Osterlund, Nils-Olof Larsson, Paul Vestergren, Anders Sandström, Hans Matsner, Hans Karlsson and Goran Skogsborn took over SMV (Silverdans Mekaniska Verkstad).
The first reach stacker rolled off the production line in 1995.
Since then, Konecranes Lifttrucks has delivered reach stackers, forklifts and container handlers to over 110 countries. SMV is still used today as part of Konecranes different forklift model names.
The nine original company founders were the guests of honour at a factory-wide celebration in Markaryd, Sweden last month. The company's dealership network will celebrate with the manufacturer at a two-day distributor event in May 2015.
"We celebrated along with a number of Swedish customers and suppliers, local council, the founders of SMV, distinguished guests from Konecranes Finland and all staff in Markaryd," Lars Fredin, senior vice president and head of Konecranes business unit - lift trucks, tells
Forkliftaction.com News.
Fredin, together with Ryan Flynn, the company's executive vice president and head of business area equipment, were two of the speakers who related the company's success story at the event. They spoke about how Konecranes Lifttrucks maintained its strength since 1994, how it exceeded expectations and also encountered setbacks like global economic crises and moved towards new goals.
Co-founder and general supply director Conny Persson says: "We always knew that with our new management and product ideas, we would be able to build a company of value."
The company counts as its milestones the acquisition of the Linde container handling business, the launch of the world's first hybrid reach stacker and world's biggest barge handler, a new production site in Lingang, Shanghai, and the continued expansion of its production capacity in Markaryd, Sweden.
"The plant in Lingang, China is smaller than our operation in Markaryd, Sweden. We started in China in 2006 and have built it to be a main supplier for trucks into the APAC region as well as to other regional areas globally," Fredin explains.
"Our trucks are built with focus on quality and built by heart whether they are built in China or Sweden. Strategically, we see the quality as a competitive advantage and we make sure both plants produce the same high quality."
"Lift trucks has added tremendous value to our company; we look forward to another decade of growth," says Konecranes board chairman Stig Gustavson.
"We look forward to more growth and innovation in the future," adds Konecranes CEO Pekka Lundmark.
Separately, Konecranes Lift Trucks says it has strengthened its position in the Turkish market through its partnership with its distributor Portunus. Habas, a leading player in the Turkish steel industry, received three Konecranes 33 T capacity forklifts in September. The machines are equipped with special heat and dust protection, and coil boom for effective steel coil handling.
"We have sold and delivered lift trucks to the Turkish market for close to 15 years and our position in the market (has strengthened) significantly," says Konecranes spokeswoman Rebecca Nielsen.