INTERVIEW
10
access
INTERNATIONAL
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2013
is traction for this idea that more and more
companies in North America are looking at
rental versus capitalising equipment, so that
whole trend seems to be driving growth.”
Mr Boehler sees a number of avenues for
Skyjack to continue on its upward trend,
including opportunities in Japan, Korea, China
and Brazil.
International markets
Skyjack has a “huge” fleet of used equipment in
Korea, Mr Boehler says. “The used equipment
market in Korea has traditionally been big and
we know there’s a large number of Skyjack
units that live and work in that marketplace
today.”
Around Bauma 2013, Skyjack brought
on Simon Cracknell as its new director of
business development in Asia. Mr Cracknell
previously worked with JLG Industries, Inc.
as its senior director of sales and customer
support for Northern Europe, but also lived
in Singapore for a number of months on
assignment from JLG.
“We hired Simon there to help us in that
marketplace and help us understand if we
could and should be there,”Mr Boehler says.
“We’re looking to see whether or not we’re
going to open a company store there.”
Mr Boehler and his team want better
representation in Korea while considering
if they should sell new equipment into the
country. Korea is rich with ship building,
construction manufacturers, car manufacturers
and other global entities; there’s a large
manufacturing base established in the country.
Skyjack has had contract representation in
Korea for quite some time (Cracknell focuses
more on other regions), but the market’s
dominance with used equipment versus new
equipment might not justify having boots on
the ground.
“When you look at the used market, though,
we can funnel our equipment there and we
can capture a lot of parts sales,”Mr Boehler
says. “Those two things – parts and better
representation – mean we will do something in
Korea in the not-so-distant future.”
Also on the boiler for Skyjack is more
activity in China and Japan.
“China is a struggle,”Mr Boehler says. “It’s
all about figuring out who can sell what in
China.”
Skyjack is looking at potential plans for
its involvement in China, but they’re not on
the cusp of opening a manufacturing facility
there, despite synergies with parent company
Linamar.
“Linamar has a manufacturing facility there
today and they’re building another, which is
going to open soon,”Mr Boehler says. “We
have a foot in the door, meaning we have
technical people on the ground and we have
manufacturing on the ground. We are buying
things from certain vendors in China today
and I think as we continue that process, it’s a
matter of doing the right things.
“We ensure our suppliers are meeting
standards – supplying us with good products
on time.
“As we develop, and once we have a local
supply chain we can deepen there, that’s the
first step into the manufacturing environment.”
And that’s not the only place Skyjack wants
to put its toes; the company is also looking to
grow in Japan.
“We’re looking at new products, new
markets and looking to expand the customer
Brad Boehler
, president of
Skyjack talks to
Lindsey
Anderson
about the
different challenges faced
in markets around the
world, and the company’s
programme of expansion.
S
kyjack is ending 2013 with a bang.The
company reported strong growth and
an overall positive first half of 2013;
with revenues of US$320.3 million for the first
six months, up 10.5% over the same period last
year. Operating profits were US$39.3 million,
up a healthy 82.8% due to strong sales of
access equipment.The Canada-based company
also celebrated its first year anniversary in
Brazil; manufactured its 250000th machine;
started a quest to find the oldest Skyjack
working scissor lift; and opened two sales and
service centres in Scandinavia and Germany.
One would think Skyjack’s parent company,
Linamar, would be satisfied with its progress –
and it is – but it’s also anxiously awaiting 2014.
“The rental industry hasn’t backfilled all the
non-activity they had for two and a half years,
so there’s still aged fleet out there and there’s
still fleet replacement to be had, let alone
real growth,” says Brad Boehler, president,
Skyjack. “We will have growth next year.There
World view
Brad Boehler,
president of Skyjack.
Skyjack SJ111 3226 scissor
in industrial setting
Skayjack SJ63AJ boom
