There may come a time when Ireland is as famous for a certain brand of fork lift as it is for a certain brand of alcoholic beverage.

The two came together on June 22 when, along with around 300 guests from 30 different countries, Combilift Ltd celebrated the official opening of its €10m global headquarters in Monaghan.

The event, which brought together Combilift dealers from around the world, was just one more indication that this is a company that has come a long way very fast – a fact acknowledged by Ireland’s minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Michael Martin who attributed the country’s enviable economy to entrepreneurial companies such as the fork lift manufacturer. “The international success of Combilift is a foundation stone of Ireland’s remarkable economic performance over the last 10 years,” he said, as he declared the headquarters open.

The Combilift story is already familiar to many. Founded in 1998 by Martin McVicar and Robert Moffett following their successes at Moffett Engineering, the company manufactured the world’s first engine-powered, all-wheel drive, multi-directional fork lift.

Since then, 20% year-on-year growth has seen Combilift transformed from a small manufacturer of a niche product into a €60m turnover company with its trucks in 45 countries worldwide.

R&D investment

It hasn’t been the luck of the Irish that has turned Combilift into the global market leader in the long-load handling market in under a decade, but an enthusiasm for innovation and problem solving underpinned by continuous research and development – 9% of turnover is ploughed back into R&D.

“We maintain a very close link between research and development and marketing, so the two functions are always connected,” said managing director Martin McVicar. “This means everything we do is driven by our customers’ needs and we’re always first to market with what we’re offering.

“The new facility in Monaghan will help us to strengthen our dominant position in global markets by developing our product range and significantly expanding our output,” he continued.

The 100,000ft2 facility incorporates an administrative centre, an R&D block and the manufacturing unit. Current output is 32 machines per week, but by 2010 this will have increased to one unit per hour, or around 2,000 trucks per year. In line with this, turnover is expected to increase to €100m and employee numbers will rise from 150 to 250, both within the same time frame.

The company is confident that demand for its product will warrant the increased production. “Our product is targeted at companies that are using conventional fork lift trucks to carry unusual or long loads in unsafe conditions,” said Mr McVicar. “Ninety per cent of all materials being handled today are on pallets, so our market is the remaining 10%. There are over 300 manufacturers making 500,000 fork lifts a year – 10% of that is 50,000 Combilifts.”

Growth comes as the product becomes more international and expands into new areas of industry. Ninety-four per cent of Combilifts are already exported to more than 45 countries, with the US (accounting for 30%), the UK and France heading the table and developing markets in India and Dubai. Sales to the UK have almost doubled in the last two or three years.

The absence of a stockpile of off-the-peg Combilifts in the yard is another indication of how closely the company works with its customers. Every truck on the assembly line already has a metaphorical sold ticket on it and is manufactured to its new owner’s specification. Design modifications are completed in-house, with new plans being drawn-up to customers’ requirements within 24-48 hours of commissioning. Then, the usual lead time for delivery is around 10-12 weeks.

Warehouse redesign

The service doesn’t stop with the signing over of the fork lift. By computer wizardry, the Warehouse Solutions department optimises customers’ warehouses, maximising space. Typical space savings for the average builders merchant are around 30% and, while some companies charge thousands of pounds for a warehouse redesign, Combilift does it for free.

The process of incorporating customer feedback into product development has resulted in the launch of a new model virtually every year. This year is the exception, however, with no fewer than three models launched at the factory opening.

While all three models will find applications within the timber industry, one was designed with it specifically in mind. The C5000L (C10000L imperial) semi-rough terrain Combilift was developed for US lumber yards. Suitable for both interior and exterior work where space isn’t at such a premium, it has larger, solid pneumatic tyres and added suspension and a more spacious cabin for improved operator ergonomics. An integral “lumber box” is included for storing sticks, encouraging a tidier yard.

“Its indoor/outdoor capability is a major benefit to many customers,” said Mr McVicar. “We expect manufacturers of roof trusses and timber wall and floor panels, to whom safety is very important, to be particularly interested in the C5000L and expect it to account for 20% of volume output within the next 12 months.”

The TeleCombi, originally developed to meet the requirements of UK aluminium extrusion customer Alcoa (UK) Ltd, will improve the lot of any company loading and unloading trailers in congested yards. The TeleCombi is fitted with a one stage boom mounted on a moving carriage. It has a reach of 3m when the carriage and boom are fully extended and can reach across the full width of the trailer. Consequently, a trailer can be loaded or unloaded from just one side.

Optical guidance

The third newcomer, the C6000 GT electric is a sideloader that can operate reliably outdoors and in even narrower aisles – down to widths of 1.9m – thanks to the fact that the operator stands up. A key, optional, feature is an optical guiding system. Optical cameras mounted on the truck monitor a tape bonded in the centre of the aisle floor to enable automatic steering. This eliminates the need to install mechanical guide rails and allows the operator to concentrate on other tasks.

The task Martin McVicar and Robert Moffett have set themselves is to have a Combilift in every country in the world by 2010. “We don’t want to stop here,” said Mr McVicar at the factory opening. “We want [to hear from] companies who have long or wide load handling problems and Combilift will provide the solution.”