The story of Konecranes Lift Trucks

Our story

The province of Småland, in southern Sweden, is the world’s heartland of heavy-duty lift trucks. It has a greater concentration of heavy-duty lift truck companies, history, heritage, craftsmanship and passion for the industry than any other part of the world. It was here that the story of Konecranes Lift Trucks began, in the 1950s and the beginning of the modern era of the lift truck business.

We put our heart into that first delivery in 1959, making the truck with great care. Since then, a lot has happened, but we have never let go of that tradition of fine truck craftsmanship, or the mission to provide each customer with trucks that are built for the world they are working in. Our trucks are now in operation in many types of industries across the world, and have evolved throughout the years with the latest technologies and industrial design.

We live and breathe lift trucks. Leading the way from the world’s heartland of lift trucks.

1959

Silverdalens Mechanical Workshop (SMV) builds and delivers its very first lift truck; a forklift.

1994

The nine founders of today's Konecranes Lift Trucks, Olle Österlund, Göran Skogsborn, Paul Westergren, Nils-Olof Larsson, Anders Sandström, Hans Matzner, Hans Carlsson, Conny Persson and Roger Persson join SMV and a new management is appointed.

1998

We build and deliver the, at the time, world's largest reach stacker for managing containers on river barges (handling negative lifts) for customer Dörpener Umschlaggesellschaft (DUK) in north-east Germany who want to expand its river transportation business. The result is the SMV 4545 TA3 which stays in operation for 15 years.

2004

Our second and improved range of lift trucks, Generation B, is introduced and the products are launched over the coming few years. The first Gen B truck is a reach stacker delivered to Absolut Vodka (Vin & Sprit).

2007

We open our second production facility, this time located in Lingang, China.

2013

We introduce the world's first hybrid reach stacker, the SMV 4531 TB5 HLT for container handling with a lifting capacity of 45 tons. This innovation marked an important milestone for Konecranes Lift Trucks.

2014

Our third range of lift trucks is introduced, Generation C, which brings important technical updates and exciting new features which are crucial for us to remain competitive in the market.

2017

Konecranes acquire Terex MHPS to extend the port cranes and lift trucks offering. With MHPS came a range of lift trucks, including the legacy of PPM and Fantuzzi lift trucks. With that we welcome our new robust, standardized product family: Konecranes Liftace.

2020

We take the first step to electrify our portfolio and introduce our first fully electric lift truck, the E-VER 10-18 tons forklift with Li-ion battery.

2021

We celebrate a major milestone delivering our 10.000th lift truck to our long-standing customer The Absolut Company in Åhus, Sweden. Coincidentally, they also bought our first commercial reach stacker in 1995.

2024

This year is a great year for our electrification journey as we launch the next capacities of E-VER electric forklifts – 18-25 tons, and the E-ACE 9-10 tons electric empty container handlers.

2025

We reach a great milestone as we launch the electric reach stacker and now offer our customers a portfolio of fully electrified products for all main types of material handling.

2026

Our new Generation D built on a modular platform is introduced globally with the launch of electric and diesel reach stackers.

Excellence from Småland

The world’s heartland of lift trucks

The province of Småland, in southern Sweden, is the world’s heartland of heavy-duty lift trucks. Småland has a greater concentration of heavy-duty lift truck companies, history, heritage, craftsmanship and passion for the industry than any other part of the world.

Småland became the world’s heartland of heavy-duty lift trucks thanks to its wood industry and the pragmatic nature of its hard-working people. Småland is agriculturally poor but rich in trees: 50% of its surface area is covered by forest. Wood has been an essential part of the province’s economy for hundreds of years.

Motorized tractors were first used by Smålanders in the 1890s and 1900s. Some were adapted for wood harvesting by adding home-made masts and forks. By the 1930s, local entrepreneurs were making and selling lift trucks for logging and stacking, showing considerable ingenuity.

Those rough-and-ready early lift trucks were trailblazers, driving the productivity and profitability of their owners’ businesses. By the 1970s, Småland boasted a number of important lift truck companies doing business across Scandinavia, Europe and the world.

Leading the way

The history of Konecranes Lift Trucks dates back to the 1950s and the beginning of the modern era of the lift truck business. In 1959 our first lift truck was shipped from our factory in southern Sweden. We put our heart into that first delivery, making the truck with great care and craftsmanship.

Today, over half a century later, our attitude is exactly the same. We have worked hard to provide each of our customers with lift trucks that are built for the world they are working in, regardless of industry, lifting capacity or other challenges. Our mission is to find that perfect match, even if it requires us to go to the drawing table and design a brand new solution.

We now sell and service our lift trucks all over the world as part of Konecranes, the world's leading provider of smarter lifting equipment and service. Visit our production facilities and you'll find a close-knit community of people with a common passion: making the hardest-working, longest-lived lift trucks in the world.

Konecranes is leading the way from the world’s heartland of lift trucks.

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History of Konecranes Lift Trucks

1947 - Silverdalens Mechanical Workshop (SMV) is founded.

1959 - Silverdalens Mechanical Workshop builds and delivers it’s very first lift truck; a forklift.

1994 – The nine founders of today’s Konecranes Lift Trucks, Olle Österlund, Göran Skogsborn, Paul Westergren, Nils-Olof Larsson, Anders Sandström, Hans Matzner, Hans Carlsson, Conny Persson and Roger Persson join SMV and a new management is appointed.

1995 - We open a new production plant in Markaryd, Småland, southern Sweden.

1995 - A complete new truck range, Generation A, is launched, including forklifts, container handlers and reach stackers.

1998 - We deliever the world’s largest reach stacker for handling containers on river barges.

We build and deliver the, at the time, world’s largest reach stacker for handling containers on river barges (to handle negative lifts) for customer Dörpener Umschlaggesellschaft (DUK) in north-east Germany who want to expand its river transportation business. The result is the SMV 4545 TA3 which stays in operation for 15 years.

1998 - We extend the factory and office.

2000 - We introduce a new forklift concept, the SPECTRA range, 10-16 tons and 18-25 tons. Introduction of a new range of empty container handlers, stacking 5-8 high, 9 tons capacity, single and double stacking.

2002 - We extend the factory and office. We also get certified according to ISO 9001:2000.

2003 - Certified according to ISO 14001:1996. Introduction of new range of 60-ton forklifts, first delivery to a UK steel mill. Patent obtained for the SPECTRA forklifts.

2004 – The Finnish KCI Konecranes acquires SMV and we become a business unit with the legal name Konecranes Lifttrucks AB.

2004 – Our second and improved range of lift trucks, Generation B, is introduced and the products are launched over the coming few years.

2006 - KCI Konecranes launches a new global master brand strategy and identity, and dropped "KCI" from the brand name.

2006 - We also introduce a new range of 10-16 ton forklifts with higher performance and a new range of empty container handlers with 4-6 high single stacking and 8 tons capacity.

2006 - Factory and offices expands for an increased annual production capacity.

2007 – We open our second production facility, this time located in Lingang (Shanghai), China

2011 - We make major investments in the Markaryd facilities to increase production capacity to meet growing demands

2013 – We introduce the world’s first hybrid reach stacker, the SMV 4531 TB5 HLT for container handling with a lifting capacity of 45 tons. This innovation marked an important milestone for Konecranes Lift Trucks.

2013 – We acquire the container handling lift truck business of KION Group's Linde brand.

2014 - Our third range of lift trucks is introduced, Generation C, which brings important technical updates and exciting new features which are crucial for us to remain competitive in the market.

2014 – We introduce Konecranes Lift Trucks Academy, our own training portal where employees, partners and customers can take multiple courses to become experts on our machines and services

2017 – Konecranes acquire Terex MHPS to extend the port cranes and lift trucks offering. With MHPS came a range of lift trucks, including the legacy of PPM and Fantuzzi lift trucks

2017 - With the acquisition we welcome our new robust, standardized product family: Konecranes Liftace.

2018 - We extend our distributors network by signing four lift trucks distributor agreements in Asia.

2018 – Konecranes launches the Ecolifting concept with the aim to reduce customers’ fuel consumption, on-site emissions and overall carbon footprint without decreasing performance.

2018 - We welcome Andreas Falk as the new Senior Vice President, taking over from Lars Fredin.

Current SVP Andreas Falk on the left, former SVP Lars Fredin on the right.

To read more about our management, click HERE.

2019 - We launch of new Liftace reach stackers.

2019 - A 152 ton hook reach stacker aimed for the wind energy market is launched in partnership with our Scandinavian distributor N.C. Nielsen.

2019 - We celebrate 25 years of success.

2020 – We take the first step to electrify our portfolio and introduce our first fully electric lift truck, the E-VER electric forklift 10-18 tons with Li-ion battery.

2021 - Battery-as-a-service for electric forklifts is launched.

Press release: Konecranes launches Battery as a Service.

2021- We receive the largest order ever of 39 lift trucks from the German Bundeswehr (Federal Armed Forces).

Press release: Konecranes delivers largest-ever order of reach stackers to Germany

2021 - We celebrate a major milestone delivering our 10.000th lift truck to our long-standing customer The Absolut Company in Åhus, Sweden. Coincidentally, they also bought our first commercial reach stacker in 1995.

Press release: Konecranes delivers 10,000th lift truck.

2022 - All new lift trucks are Smart Connected as standard allowing customers to easily monitor, analyze, understand and optimize their fleet performance.

To learn more about this read our press release or on our pages for Smart Connected Lift Trucks.

2023 - 30 000 finished courses in Konecranes Lift Trucks Academy

2024 – This year is a great year for our electrification journey as we launch the next capacities of E-VER electric forklifts – 18-25 tons, and the E-ACE 9-10 tons electric empty container handlers.

Press release: Robust performance with zero tailpipe emissions: meet the new Konecranes E-ACE lift truck.

To read more aobut E-ACE click HERE.

2024 - Konecranes acquire Peinemann Port Services and Container Handling to further strengthen Port Solutions business.

Press release: Konecranes has completed its acquisition of Peinemann Port Services and Container Handling.

2025 - We reach a great milestone as we launch the electric reach stacker and now offer our customers a portfolio of fully electrified products for all main types of material handling.

Press release: Konecranes expands its electric portfolio with the new reach stacker | Trade press releases | Konecranes Lift Trucks

2026 – Our new Generation D built on a modular platform is introduced globally with the launch of electric and diesel reach stackers.

Press release: Konecranes unveils the modular Generation D lift truck platform with global launch of new reach stackers | Corporate press releases | Konecranes Lift Trucks