Palfinger/Sky Aces JV targets Italian market

The Palfinger Group has established a joint venture with Sky Aces Srl in Italy to produce 'mid-market' platforms and truck bodies.

The new company, Palfinger Platforms Italy Srl, of which Palfinger holds a majority share, will specialise in the development, production and distribution of platforms. The objective is to open up the high-volume market segment for trucks of up to 3.5 tonnes in Italy. It will also include the manufacture of reasonably-priced truck bodies with easy-to-use technology, said the company.

Sky Aces was founded in 2011 by former Oil & Steel executive Paolo Balugani and three other investors. The company focused on producing special platforms for niche applications such as tunnels. The existing operating business of Sky Aces will be transferred to the new company, with headquarters in Bolzano.

Herbert Ortner, Palfinger CEO said: “We are pursuing two objectives with this joint venture. Firstly, we want to open up the large and strongly growing market segment of access platforms for use on smaller trucks in the field of infrastructure preservation and maintenance. Secondly, through Palfinger Platforms Italy, we are planning to intensively develop the Italian market, which is of importance to us.”

Palfinger currently operates in what it describes as the high-end segment, but these new products are intended to open up the mid-market segment, which is many times larger.

“In this segment, cost-efficient, standardised access platforms are mounted on trucks registered for up to 3.5 tonnes, which are in demand primarily by municipalities, energy supply companies, infrastructure providers and rental companies,” said a company spokesman, “The equipment, which is characterised by its ease of operation and control, will also feature the proven quality of Palfinger products.”

Palfinger Platforms Italy will distribute the entire Palfinger range in Italy, while the equipment manufactured in Italy will be distributed through Palfinger’s sales network, initially in Europe with other markets being targeted in the future.