The signs are green in Ireland

Combilift, the inventor of the four-way forklift powered by a combustion engine, will produce up to 10,000 vehicles per year in single-shift operation in the 46,500 square meter production facility following the 50 million euro expansion that began in 2015 and has now been officially opened. Previously it was 5,000 vehicles. The number of employees is set to rise from 550 to 750 in the coming years, and turnover is also expected to increase accordingly from its current level of 230 million euros.

Manual work: As Combilift vehicles are mostly custom-made, a lot of welding is done by hand.

Figures that would also make an impression in any other European country, so it was no wonder that on April 23, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar left his beloved Dublin to make one of his rather rare visits to the country. In Monaghan, he was met by company employees, customers, dealers, local politicians and journalists from numerous countries. After a short speech, the obligatory ribbon was cut (here in the country's typical green) and Varadkar also immortalized himself on a commemorative plaque at the entrance to the company. Extensive company tours with extremely friendly and motivated employees ("This is your factory today, ask whatever you want") and a festive evening with typical local folklore and a humorous look at the early years of the company, when McVicar sold drawings that later became products, rounded off the inauguration ceremony.

You don't have to be an expert on Irish economic policy to appreciate what a boon a local company like Combilift is for the labor market. And in Monaghan at least, the robot colleague does not yet have much say in the production of industrial trucks: Combilift operates relatively conservatively, welding by hand and the existence of four fixed production lines also points the way to a more traditional production method. In line with the slogan "The best design is simple design", the trucks are kept functional, with high-gloss finishes and high-end features supplied by other manufacturers who are more likely to be involved in mass production.