Irish materials handling company, Combilift, has marked being in Australia for 21 years, with co-founder and MD, Martin McVicar, in Melbourne to celebrate the milestone with the local team.
McVicar recalled being approached by Peter Whiffen, the founder of local family-owned dealership, Adaptalift. Whiffen had discovered Combilift while searching for a solution to a client’s specific handling needs and was so impressed he flew to Ireland to visit its factory.
The result was Adapt-A-Lift Import, trading as Combilift Australia, being established in 2003.
“The team from Adaptalift have been instrumental to our growth in the area, with ongoing investment in inventory, parts and training,” McVicar said.
McVicar’s first sales trip to Australia is now one of company folklore, involving travelling
from Cincinnati in the US to Brisbane via Chicago, Los Angeles, and Auckland. The result was one order for its C4000 from a steel tubing and pipe company that is still a Combilift customer.
“For us, every customer is valuable, even if they’ve only purchased one machine,” McVicar said.
Whiffen said that over the 21 years and its growth, Combilift has “never lost its focus on the customer”.
“Combilift’s unique range has opened doors for us and allowed us to sell other products to the same customers. It extends our range and beautifully complements our other offerings,” he said.
Combilift Australia managing director, Chris Littlewood, said the company continues to grow its market share in Australia, with the country Combilift’s fifth-largest market, with a fleet of more than 4500 units in operation.
