27.05.2007

Aichi on the move

Aichi Europe is preparing to relocate to a new 62,000 Square metre facility in Oosterhout, Holland.

The company has been located on a sizable property in another part of Oosterhout for some time, but while it has plenty of yard space, it is short on covered space.

The new locations includes 14,000 square metres of covered storage or production space.

In its new location Aichi will be located next door to the headquarters of Hitachi Construction Europe, where excavators are assembled and finishing work to the company’s crawler cranes is carried out.

The new facility will provide Aichi with the opportunity to assemble and even manufacture its aerial lifts. Last year the company said that it was looking at designing products for local markets and even considering local production.
See Aichi to expand overseas

We understand on good authority that the company is preparing to launch a new scissor lift range designed specifically for Europe and North America, we also hear that the company has been lining up local suppliers of key components in preparation for a September start.

When we asked Aichi the direct question concerning its plans to assemble in Europe we were simply told that the new facility would be suitable for the task but that the company had not yet decided if it will begin production in Holland or not.

Vertikal Comment

Aichi makes some of the best aerial lifts in the business and has stated that it wants to increase its sales outside of Japan by 500 percent.

It already has a surprisingly large share of the 18 to 25 metre straight boom self propelled market, but if it is to achieve its aims it must introduce electric scissor lifts that compete head to head with Skyjack, Genie and JLG. It will also need to look at an articulating boom line.

Aichi is owned by Toyota, which also holds a small share in Manitou with which it has worked closely for many years. If these two companies could negotiate with open minds they would both benefit by merging their access resources.

Aichi needs a quality articulated boom line – Manitou has it.
Manitou needs a quality straight boom line – Aichi has it.
Both companies need a good quality competitive electric scissor line - A joint design and production effort could deliver this.
In addition Manitou’s new TP150 telescopic boom (scissor) lift is also a highly popular concept in Japan.

The two companies have worked together in the past, with Manitou badging Aichi booms, however both companies trying to make their normal margins, killing the venture almost before it started.

Thankfully for the company’s competitors, the chances of the two getting together is minimal to non existent.

If Aichi gets its European electric scissor lift design right and can produce them at a price that is close to that of the market leaders it could do very well, at least in Holland and Germany.