Sinoboom to produce MEWPs for Europe in Poland
22 July 2024
Sinoboom is set to assemble MEWPs for the European market at the company’s production plant in Poland, in response to tariffs imposed on Chinese-produced equipment entering the EU.
The group, with its headquarters based in Changsha, China, is adopting a ‘Europe for Europe’ approach, which will see it introducing full assembly of its scissor and boom lifts, destined for the EU market, at its Poznan-based facility.
The Sinoboom Poznan plant team.
The plans were announced at a dealer open day last week, followed by a press event, aimed at reassuring Sinoboom’s European distributor and customer base that their businesses would not be affected long-term by the provisional tariffs that were introduced on 13 July.
Sinoboom is in the process of appealing against its 56.1% tariff ahead of the final verdict by the European Commission in December this year.
As Richard Butler, the CEO of Sinoboom Europe, said, “Our strategy is clear; we’re here today, we’re here tomorrow and we’re here for the future. I cannot be any clearer than that.”
Production plans
Under the rules imposed by the European Commission’s investigation, which is still underway, 60% of the total value of components of each MEWP must be produced outside China, with proven traceability. Sinoboom’s plan is for 75% of the components assembled there to be procured from countries other than China. The plant in Poland currently produces scissors and boom lifts for the North American market ahead of its new factory in Mexico starting production this year.
Sinoboom Europe’s production plant in Poland.
The 19,000 square metre facility was first established in 2021 and currently has 120 employees. Such is the challenge to employ local skilled labour, more than 50% of the shopfloor employees are originally from outside of Poland from a range of countries, including China, Ukraine, Southeast Asia and Columbia.
The factory, which has received a €10 million investment so far, has an annual capacity of 5,000 scissor lifts and 3,750 boom lifts, once in full use.
Equipment for Europe
Inside the Poznan plant.
Sinoboom’s strategy there involves phasing in European products, combined with ongoing investment in the supply chain outside of China amounting to €60 million over three years. A European research and development team will also be established in Poznan to oversee localised products and final certification of CE equipment.
Components have already been sourced from a range of destinations, including drive motors and counterweights from India, batteries from Vietnam, basket assemblies and chassis from Poland, Deutz batteries from Germany, tyre assemblies from Belgium and a range of valves from Italy, to name a few.
The Poznan plant complement’s Sinoboom BV’s 12,000 square metre head office in Ridderkerk, Netherlands and the group’s head office in Changsha, China, as well as the company’s eight other locations globally and its 1,500 workers worldwide.
European and US-bound products.
In a further addition to the European footprint, the company will set up a base in the UK, which will be centrally located, possibly in Derby. The facility, to be launched in the fourth quarter of this year, will provide sales, service and local stock and take advantage of the UK being outside of the EU and therefore not subject to the tariffs. This means product can be imported directly from China, if required.
Speaking to Access Briefing, Butler added, “We want to have a world-class manufacturing facility here in Poznan, which we’re well on the way towards, with a full product portfolio.
“Then to be a clear leader in the European access industry with product support and innovation in the business.”
