Combilift’s €40 million investment in new manufacturing facility

Feb 15, 2015 Warehousing Ireland Materials Handling, News Comments Off on Combilift’s €40 million investment in new manufacturing facility

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Combilift Ltd. is to invest €40 million over the next two years in a new manufacturing facility, which will also create 200 additional jobs over the next five years. This announcement was made by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny along with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton on a visit to Combilift’s current HQ in Monaghan town on Friday 6^th February.

This expansion will enable Combilift to proceed with its plan to double its current €150 million turnover over the next five years. The majority of the 200 new jobs to be created will be for skilled technicians and design engineers and a further 200 jobs will also be created during the two year construction period of the new facility.

Combilift has recently purchased 40 hectares of industrial zoned land on the Monaghan by-pass where the new purpose-built, 40,000 square metre, greenfield manufacturing site will be built.  This will include a dedicated Research and Development building and adjoining administrational offices and will be more than double the size of both of the company’s present manufacturing facilities . These are currently in Monaghan Town where Combilift’s forklift ranges are produced and in Clontibret, where the Straddle Carrier range is built.

Combilift is best known for its wide range of multi-directional forklifts, Aisle-Master articulated forklifts and other innovative material handling solutions such as the Combilift Straddle Carrier designed to handle large containers and over-sized loads. The company was set up by Managing Director Martin McVicar and Technical Director Robert Moffett in 1998 and thanks to the continued 7% investment of turnover in R&D, Combilift has produced in excess of 24,500 units since 1998. It currently employs over 300 people at its two facilities and products are exported to over 75 countries.

Commenting today, Martin McVicar said:  “with this greenfield investment and sufficient land available on the new site for future expansion, Combilift is committed to continuing its organic growth in Monaghan for many years to come”.  He also stated that “Combilift, on behalf of the mid-Tier Irish engineering companies is very pleased to announce that it is the process of submitting an Apprenticeship Application to accredit our employees and employees of other Irish engineering companies as ‘Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) technicians’. This apprenticeship aims to educate technicians to be competent in hydraulics, electrics, and troubleshooting diagnostics”.

Welcoming the announcement, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny said: “It is growing and dynamic Irish companies like Combilift which are driving a recovery across Ireland’s regions.  Combilift’s new €40 million facility in Monaghan will make a profound difference to the local economy and the national export economy.”  Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton, who has been accompanied by Combilift on several Enterprise Ireland trade missions around the world since taking office, said: “Combilift is a world-class Irish exporting company, developing and manufacturing cutting edge products in a regional location for sale abroad, creating employment for hundreds of people in Monaghan.”

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