Combilift seek to generate €50M through new product aimed at offshore wind farm sector

MILESTONE Firm celebrates 25 years in business

Monaghan Town was alive with international businessmen and journalists from across the globe as a progressive local company launched three state-of-the-art new products while celebrating 25 years in business.

Combilift, one of Monaghan’s largest employers, is poised to create more jobs locally as a result of the expansion. However, the number and timing of the positions has yet to be confirmed.

The largest global manufacturer of multi-directional, articulated forklifts and straddle carriers is now moving into the offshore wind sector with the launch of a new product designed to meet the load-handling demands of large-scale offshore wind manufacturers.

The intended star of the show for the big reveal was the Combilift Load-Carrier but the company’s MD, Martin McVicar, lit up the room with his passion for the product, his impressive knowledge and his warm relationship with clients present from all over the world.

The Combi-LC, for which the design patent is pending, allows for the movement of wind turbine blades and towers through production stages and to storage and installation locations. The blades being moved for example are currently up to 115m long - that’s longer than the Aviva Stadium football pitch - and weigh around 70t.

The moving equipment involves two vehicles working in tandem, communicating and operating simultaneously to secure the load at both ends, and move it safely to another location.

The scale of the requirements of those developing offshore wind equipment has driven the need for bespoke handling solutions such as the Combi-LC.

Representatives from some of the world’s media and prospective clients were among those present to get an up-close-and-personal look at the new Combi-LC, as well as two other innovative products - the Combi-AGT and Combi-Connect.

Combilift’s commemorative event began Monday afternoon when the three-storey open plan entrance was flooded with employees in Combilifts signature illuminous yellow and black uniforms on the first and second floor.

International visitors, including businessmen, journalists from trade publications from Europe and beyond, as well as local politicians peered down from the top, as Martin McVicar and Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, performed the honours and addressed the group.

Mr McVicar outlined Combilift’s pround track record in innovation and developing new products and solutions. “We invest seven percent of our revenue annually in R&D (research and development) and today is the culmination of many years’ hard work.”

The hard work and wait look set to pay dividends as Combilift hopes to generate over €50m in revenue per year in the windfarm segment by 2026.

“We are delighted to be continuing this tradition of innovation 25 years on. Now employing over 800 people in Monaghan and 200 people in other locations across the world, the success of Combilift is testament to our people, our customers and the support provided by Enterprise Ireland. We are looking forward to the next 25 years at Combilift,” said Mr McVicar.

Minister Humphreys congratulated Combilift on their new product launches. “Over the past 25 years, Combilift has made an enormous positive impact on people’s lives - as a major employer in Monaghan. That has made a very important impact to the Irish economy – through employment and spend in our local communities.”

Combilift also offered guided tours of its headquarters for each of the visitors, showcasing the production process for its entire range of products.

Demonstrations of the newly launched products also featured, allowing the group to see each in action.

Siemens Gamesa, one of the world’s largest offshore wind suppliers, has become the first company to leverage the new technology by signing a multi-million order for a number of the bespoke Load Carriers, and Combilift is in active discussions with other offshore wind companies with similar demands.

Additionally, Combilift has also launched the Combi-AGT - Combilift’s Autonomous Guided Truck (Combi-AGT), designed specifically for the automated handling of long loads, boasts dual-control capability, enabling manual operation when necessary, a world first.

The Combi-Connect, meanwhile, is a telematic software product that provides its customers with greater levels of insight into fleet management and utilisation, providing real-time data on fleet performance, including location tracking, usage analytics, and maintenance alerts

Despite its impressive international footprint, Combilift continues its commitment to employing people from the local area.

Speaking to the Anglo-Celt following the launch, Mr McVicar further explained: “The business is continuing to grow. You can see there over the past number of years we have continued to add new staff. But if we look at the number of employees for example that are living in County Cavan, that number is increasing.”

In relation to projected employment numbers, he added: “We are adding staff through the organisation but particularly software engineers, mechatronic, design engineers, assembly technicians. So, there are more roles where we as a business need to fill in the coming year, because these new products, they’re only being kicked off at the moment. We’re very much just at the infant stage and it’s going to take employees of different levels.”