06.03.2012

Snorkel recruits for production

Aerial lift manufacturer Snorkel has begun hiring production staff again in both the USA and UK in order to cope with improved order intake.

Snorkel, like most aerial lift manufacturers made substantial cut backs in 2008 and 2009 as the market for its products slumped more than 60 percent.

In recent months the company has seen a sustained improvement and lead times for some products are now seriously extended. The company’s order book has increased by over 170 percent so far this year and having recently raised new equity funds is confident enough in the market to boost its UK production workforce by 50 percent while adding 20 to 30 percent to its North American production line.
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Snorkel is increasing the production workforce at its UK facility by 50 percent

In the UK, Snorkel is also planning to take on three new apprentices. The company says that it took advantage of the downturn to cross-train and up-skill its assembly workers, launch new products and make improvements on its existing range.

Group operations director Brendan Campbell said: “Although we had to downsize during the recession, we stuck firmly to a strategy of keeping our core people and enhancing their skill sets. We are emerging as a much stronger, smarter company which is now ready for the next growth phase.”

David Smith, president of Snorkel North America added: “After talking to our key customers, our build plan for 2012 calls for a 20 to 30 per cent growth in employment over the coming months. We are going to be hiring across the board, from assembly line workers and supervisors to office-based functions like purchasing and finance.”
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Snorkel has used the downturn to develop a range of new products