07.12.2005

UpRight to exit boom market

UpRight has decided to formally withdraw from the self propelled boom market as soon as it has completed and shipped the units that it has on order.

This news follows, UpRight’s decision to suspend the marketing of its larger boom lift range, while it conducted an in depth survey of the market and planned its forward strategy.

A company spokesperson, said that the company wanted to concentrate its efforts on the production of small to medium height lifts and its market leading alloy scaffold tower production.
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The UpRight SB46 pre production unit

The company is also likely to maintain its trailer lift line and AB38, products that have always been produced separately from the main boom lift range.

The UpRight boom line was designed in the mid to late 90’s and includes the AB46 range of articulating booms and the AB62 with platform heights of 46 and 62ft respectively. It also has a straight boom range, with the SB40, SB46, SB60 and SB80.
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The SB80 had a 2.5m jib

UpRight entered the boom market well after other companies were already well established with second and third generation products, which made it very difficult for a new entrant. However it did allow the company to look and learn and develop a line with strong performance characteristics.
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The UpRight AB62RT

There are several thousand UpRight booms in operation, and apart from teething troubles in the early days, caused by the steep learning curve the company went through, the product has been appreciated.
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An UpRight AB46 Bi Energy in France

see vertikal check Oct 2001
UpRight will continue to invest in product support for the boom range, but will end new production as soon as the current inventory is built out.

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The UpRight SB60

Vertikal comment

This decision will come as no surprise to most, since the American part of UpRight entered chapter 11 in 2001, the company has found it difficult to continue producing its wide product range in any volume.

The UpRight Electric scissor lift range, which includes the MX19, TM12 and X series, is still very well regarded and continues to sell in volumes that might surprise. It would do better to follow Skyjacks lead of a few years back and pull out of larger booms, at least while it rebuilds sales of its smaller products.

The boom UpRight boom product line is an asset that the company would do well to market, as we report in the latest Cranes&Access a number of companies are planning to enter the boom market, including Skyjack and Iteco. They could do a lot worse than starting out with some of the UpRight designs.

Whether UpRight will part with such property is another thing of course.