STILL LIFTING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS Back in 1994 a pioneering team of nine industry engineers
Konecranes Li Trucks is celebrating 25 years in business
Konecranes’ fi rst reach stacker rolling out
of the SMV factory in Spring 1995
66
came together to buy a local manufacturing company in
Silverdalen, southeast Sweden. Under the name
Silverdalens Mekaniska Verkstad, which translates as
Silverdale Mechanical Workshop, this youthful band of
brothers produced their fi rst reach stacker.
Since that fi rst machine Konecranes has sold nearly
10,000 units across 120 countries. Today the company
builds lift trucks in Sweden, China and France and is
renowned for the excellence of its products, use of
sophisticated technology and global distribution. Two of
the original founders are still with the company.
Konecranes’ technical innovations have often
had a signifi cant impact. In 1999 its barge handler,
the largest in the world, came to market. Environmental
and social responsibility led the company to develop the
world’s fi rst hybrid reach stacker in 2013. Earlier this year,
and in partnership with NC Nielsen, it produced the
world’s largest reach stacker, with an impressive lifting
capacity of 152 tons.
As the company has grown, so it has established some
key milestones. From its beginnings as SMV it became part
of the Konecranes Group in 2004. In 2007 it opened
a factory in China. And in 2017 the company acquired
Terex MHPS, whose lift truck business brought
Konecranes substantial growth opportunities.
Konecranes Lift Trucks marked its 25th anniversary
with ceremonies at each of its key sites around the
world. In Sweden the company held a special event at
which some of the founders spoke. Konecranes continues
to do what the original team always wanted, to build
lift trucks ‘with heart’. Its enduring legacy remains
in safe hands. iVT
LOOKING BACK.
iVTInternational.com November 2019
Eight of the nine
Konecrane founders
pictured during 25th
anniversary celebration
/iVTInternational.com