Robert Moffett was instrumental in engineering and producing the Moffett Mounty, a forklift that could attach to a semi-truck, making loading and unloading much easier. Moffett worked in the family business, Moffett Engineering in Monaghan, Ireland, a world-renowned company, for many years. Martin McVicar worked there also; he was hired for a summer job and ended up becoming the head engineer before he was 20 years old. When the family decided to sell the business, Moffett and McVicar worked together to design the world’s first internal combustion engine powered, all wheel drive, multi-directional forklift. And, in 1998, Combilift was begun.
A Product with a Difference
The first forklift, the Tructractor was invented in 1917. This vehicle was like a tractor with an attachment, but in the 1920s, hydraulics and a vertical lifting mast were added. Through the years, the forklift was enhanced to handle heavier loads and safety features were added. The lift also branched out to different fuel-based applications.
The difference with the Combilift machine was the incredible maneuverability and the added safety features.
Early on, educating people regarding why they should trade in their traditional forklifts for these advanced lifters with enhanced safety features was quite a challenge. In fact it continues to be so today. In-person demonstrations were more effective, so they were shipping machines and people across Europe.
Business Today
While the company provides material handling equipment for many industries, building materials is their biggest market. Many of their customers are in the rollforming and post-frame market. They work with the raw material suppliers, manufacturing firms, and distributors.
“We can help anywhere along the distribution channel,” said Paul Short, President of the North American division.
Their products, particularly the C-Series, the Combi CB-Series and the Aisle Master are the machines used in construction. These machines give the ability to carry long loads, like engineered wood products. Their multidirectional wheels make it possible to make sharp turns, carrying the load. They include sideloaders and counterbalanced narrow aisle forklifts, making material handling much easier.
Combi MG Coil Handling
The Combilift Manufacturing Facility.
Aerial View of the Combilift Facility, Monaghan, Ireland. All photos courtesy of Combilift
Offering a high level of customization, the company will create a machine to accommodate any specific needs. Often when they have customized a machine for one customer, there are other applications for it in the industry. The company offers a service of helping customers with layouts to maximize their space and create efficiencies that can be realized with the material handlers.
Their customers are scattered across the globe, residing in 95 different countries.
Uplifting Company Culture
Over 800 employees work at the facility in Ireland, about 60 employees in the United States, and 100 more around the world.
McVicar, CEO and cofounder, is very entrepreneurial and his spirit is infectious. Everyone listens carefully to customers to understand their particular needs and solve their problems. If they do not have the solution for the customer, they create it. Short said there is a strong “can-do” attitude among employees.
“Several of our employees have been with us from the beginning,” Short said. “Between the positive mindset, good benefits, a new facility built in 2018, everything you could need to do your job, plus hot meals available in the canteen, it’s a good place to work.
“There is also room to grow in the company, and many avenues to pursue,” Short added.
But how do they find employees in the first place? The nearby technical college offers apprenticeships at the facility. They also bring students into the facility for tours so they can get a feel of the different roles that they could fill someday. They help students to understand that they don’t have to go to a traditional university to find employment. The company is located in a rural area, so recruiting nearby youth is an important part of finding employees.
Challenges and Keys to Success
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company doors were closed in Monaghan for about three weeks. Then they had to figure out how to move forward with serving their customers. In the meantime demand went wild.
The company pulled together as a team, splitting into different shifts and putting people to work in different zones to avoid too many people interacting.
Since that time, business has been strong; it is a continuing challenge to stay ahead of the demand, Short said.
“As an engineering and manufacturing company, our path to success means listening to customers and improving their storage and work flow. Innovation is very important, and we will go to any length to solve that problem. We treat every customer like they are our very first customer,” Short said.
People and product are the keys to a successful business, Short said. Your service and the quality of your product are what can set you apart from other companies, he added.
On the Horizon
Short believes that in the next few years, more and more businesses will be looking for efficiencies from automation as well as storage solutions. Many of their products are automated, and they will be continuing down that road.
Combilift has an overall goal of becoming the greatest exporter within their niche. Their five-year plan is to double their sales, and they are very focused on North America. They see great opportunities in the United States and Canada, and they have accepted the challenge. RB
