THE POWER TO RUN YOUR OWN BUSINESS 

After many years in the industry, Carl-Olof Eckerbom, Björn Nilsson, Andreas Berglund and Mattias Karlsson wanted to invest in their own reach stacker idea. Together they envisioned running a company where they could develop the design and concept they truly believe in from A to Z, building products based on customer needs and offering the service needed to become the market leader in the industry. 

In 2019, they launched Camblift together with the Parkander family. Carl-Olof is the CEO, Andreas, Mattias and Björn are the designers, and Carl Ekholm Parkander is the Chairman of the Board.  

The team had seen the need for reach stackers, and their conscious investment led to the sale of five machines already in the development phase. Close collaboration with customers was developed, and in May 2022, the team launched its first reach stacker. 

   – The relationship with the customer is crucial. The fact that we sold five machines early gave us some peace of mind and helped to push the work in the right direction.  We want to offer a premium machine with a high level of service and support. It is important to optimize the machine according to the customer's needs, and we can only do that by working closely with the customer and listening carefully, says Carl-Olof.  

Camblift's reach stacker has a lifting capacity of up to 46 tons in the first and second container rows and is available with three different wheelbases, the longest of which is from 6300 mm to 7500 mm. The machine is available with a traditional diesel or electric driveline. It is designed to meet customer demands for ergonomics and safety. The cab is spacious, has an ergonomically designed joystick and has connectivity options just like today’s cars have. The design of the steps, railings and service hatches makes maintenance smoother and safer. 

PARTNERSHIP FOR AN OPTIMIZED SOLUTION 

Just as cooperation with customers is important to Camblift, it is also important to create good relationships with suppliers – particularly when it comes to developing new products, as the right supplier can provide support and contribute knowledge and experience. Right from the start in 2019, Camblift contacted HydraSpecma to help find the right hydraulic components. 

   – It is important to be humble and to turn to experts to find the best possible solution. HydraSpecma knows hydraulics, so through our discussions we were able to come up with the best solutions for us, says Carl-Olof. 

Camblift strives to be available to its customers and to provide the customer with service that creates added value. For the customer, the reach stacker has a key function and it must work for the business to operate as planned. That makes it critical to quickly get help from Camblift's service technicians in the event of unplanned – and planned – stops. Camblift has the same expectation of its suppliers. 

   – Being able to trust that we will get the help we need when we need it is everything. HydraSpecma is an important partner for us and I feel that we have mutual trust and good communication. And being in such close proximity has meant that they have been able to quickly come over to provide support or components when there is a crisis; that is very valuable to us, says Carl-Olof. 

HydraSpecma supplies hoses, wire components, control orbitrols, valve blocks and central lubrication. Recently, HydraSpecma also conducted a central lubrication training for service technicians and one for production employees.  

   – In order to increase the service life of the machine and each component, it is important to understand the impact of central lubrication. The training gave us deeper knowledge about how the system works and the importance of cleanliness. Now we operate more efficiently, ensuring optimal assembly and a system where every lubrication point is completely saturated from delivery, says Carl-Olof. 

At the same time, optimization work is underway to meet the upcoming needs of end customers. 

   – The cooperation with Camblift is good and insightful for us. They are very competent and know what the end customer wants, and that in turn challenges us at HydraSpecma. The fact that we have been involved right from the beginning and are constantly challenged to optimize to find the best solution strengthens us as a company, says Henrik Skogsborn, Area Sales Manager at HydraSpecma 

EXCITED FOR THE FUTURE 

Camblift is growing according to plan and has doubled both the number of service technicians and the number of production employees. Early on, the team was lucky enough to find a good site with great growth potential in the middle of Ljungby. The first year, when the owners were the only employees, the size echoed across the premises, but it provides the conditions needed to continue to grow and to reach the goal of becoming a market-leading supplier of reach stackers with the best possible service. 

The target market is Sweden, but all of northern Europe is relevant in the future. The focus is on ensuring that the first machines live up to customer expectations and on optimization. After that, resources will be shifted to new projects.  

   – It feels exciting to look ahead. We have good competitors, but our flexibility and direct contact with the customer means that we can implement customer adaptations in an efficient way, Carl-Olof concludes.