22.07.2024

Sinoboom to build in Europe for Europe

Sinoboom is making plans to start building truly European boom and scissor lifts at its production facility in Poznan, Poland.

The extensive plant is currently dedicated to the production of ANSI models for the USA, mostly telescopic booms and slab electric scissor lifts, along with some Rough Terrain scissors. By the start of the new year European models will be added to the mix, with North American production eventually shifted to a new plant in Mexico.

Locally sorced components

Over the past two years or so the facility has been building a local supply chain and is now approaching 70 percent non-Chinese content in value terms. This includes pumps and control units from Germany, valves, electric motors and other hydraulic components from Italy, fabrications, wiring and hoses from Poland, while Scissor stacks and counterweights for the telescopic boom lifts come from India, batteries from Vietnam and on board generators from the USA. Booms, hydraulic cylinders and the control system still come from Sinoboom in China.

At Bauma 2025 in April all, or most, of the Sinoboom machines on display will be European built with well over 50 percent European content. As the plant in Mexico comes on stream the Poznan facility will be increasingly dedicated to European production.
Diverse cultural mix
The Poznan plant is staffed by a diverse mix of nationalities, including local Polish workers, with around 20 ex pats from China, withthe remainder coming from Ukraine, Russia, Philippines, Indonesia, Belorussia and Columbia.
The plant has an ultimate capacity of around 10,000 units a year depending on product mix, based on the current tooling and processes.

While the catalyst for building US, and now European, machines at the plant in Poznan was driven by the imposition of import tariffs, Sinoboom says that the move fits well with its ambition to build machines local to where they are to be sold and used.

Sinoboom has said that it will build or open new sales offices and warehouse in the UK, possibly in the Derby area, trading as Sinoboom UK. It has already recruited a managing director to run it and is seeking additional staff. It has also recruited a new European sales manager in the form of Rik Kiddle, previously with Terex Finlay and JCB.

Full coverage of our visit to Sinoboom’s plant in Poznan is planned for the August/September issue of Cranes & Access magazine.

Vertikal Comment

The visit to Poznan was certainly and eye opener. The number of machines currently being built there for North America is impressive, with a large number of 86ft boom lifts going through this month, many of them part of a big order for United Rentals we understand.

A section of the facility is partitioned of and rented to a local car manufacturer which stores boxed parts kits there. As production ramps up the plan is to use that space to reach the facility’s 10,000 unit production capacity.

All in all a very impressive, well organised modern assembly facility.