30.06.2004

UpRight Confirm closure of American plant

UpRight have confirmed that its Madera plant will close in August effectively ending almost 60 years of production in North America.

In a press release this evening the company also obliquely refer to a change in corporate structure, dropping UpRight Inc for UI distribution North America Inc, which will be based in Fresno, it has been rumoured that UpRight Inc may be or possibly already has been, placed into liquidation. In recent months the company has been trading in North America through UpRight International manufacturing, The company would not comment on this issue. In a discussion with Vertikal.Net, John Coughlan President of the UpRight group would only say that "UpRight Inc was no longer trading".

UI distribution North America Inc, will sell and support the full range of Upright products in North America. Following the closure of Madera, most of the UpRight range will be built at the company’s plant in Dublin, Ireland. It is understood though that production of aerial lifts currently produced in Madera is likely to move to Mexico although this has not been confirmed or corroborated. On this subject Coughlan made the point that UpRight has been working for some time on its global supply chain, and that this now provides the company with tremendous flexibility with final assembly location. His main point was that all UpRight products would continue to be available, meeting the same quality and delivery criteria. He would not be drawn on final assembly location.

Outside of North America, products will continue to be distributed by the UpRight international distribution network that is largely supplied by the European production plant.