In between Utah elevate visits final week, I ventured to Tooele, a sleepy city west of Salt Lake to see America’s latest elevate manufacturing unit. Skytrac Lifts opened its 25-acre campus final summer time, which is able to provide chairlifts and floor lifts to prospects all through the US. Throughout my go to, the Skytrac staff was ending getting settled whereas gearing as much as construct at the least 9 new lifts this summer time.
Skytrac has grown considerably since constructing its first drive terminal at Monarch Mountain, Colorado in 2010. With the late Jan Leonard as one of many founders, the corporate rapidly discovered a distinct segment offering ski areas top quality but uncomplicated fastened grip chairlifts. As of this winter, Skytrac has constructed 82 lifts in three international locations together with quite a few retrofits, modifications and relocations.
Leitner-Poma of America acquired Skytrac in 2016. The 2 firms stay distinct manufacturers underneath Italian conglomerate Excessive Know-how Industries (HTI). Skytrac and Leitner-Poma typically bid individually on the identical initiatives and retain distinctive product traces. Whereas each subsidiaries make fastened grip chairlifts, Skytrac just lately took over the floor elevate (T-Bar and Platter) aspect of the enterprise whereas Leitner-Poma focuses on bigger chairlifts and gondolas. For a floor elevate, Skytrac manufactures operator homes, towers and management methods however imports carriers and terminals from Leitner’s specialised facility in Slovakia. Skytrac’s authentic merchandise, the Monarch fastened grip chairlift and Hilltrac inclined elevator, are produced virtually totally in Tooele.
HTI’s 130,000 sq. foot constructing changed a smaller website Skytrac leased website close to the Salt Lake Metropolis airport. Tooele lies roughly half-hour west with ample land and two close by technical schools. With Skytrac occupying 90,000 sq. ft, the $27 million facility can produce practically a complete chairlift underneath one roof. All the pieces from chairs and towers to bullwheels and management methods are made right here. Electrical, engineering and gross sales departments work proper alongside the manufacturing corridor. Skytrac lifts are actually made in America with usually solely the haul rope and gearbox imported from overseas.
The brand new facility is even bigger than LPOA’s Grand Junction plant with ample room for progress. Bobby Langlands, Skytrac’s Gross sales Engineer and my tour information, stated the manufacturing unit may most likely pump out 20-plus lifts a 12 months, up from the eight to 10 they typically do now. Along with manufacturing, there’s a cavernous elements warehouse, which is able to develop to incorporate inventory for the rising variety of Leitner-Poma lifts within the Intermountain area. HTI sister firms Prinoth and Demaclenko even have house for elements and repair in Tooele.
One of many coolest issues when touring a elevate manufacturing unit is seeing elements tagged with names of mountains they’re headed to. Raise producers usually produce parts so as of contract signing and I noticed items destined for Pats Peak, Ski Butternut, Monarch and Snowmass. Skytrac produces the most typical parts prematurely based mostly on a forecast. For example, the corporate is producing 120 tower crossarms this spring and can do a second manufacturing run later if orders warrant. One factor that makes a Skytrac elevate comparatively inexpensive is the variety of elements which can be widespread amongst each elevate. The chair bail, for instance, is identical no matter whether or not a buyer orders a double, triple or quad.
Skytrac makes use of a number of robotic welding machines in Tooele together with automated plasma cutters. Arduous working folks do the remainder of the work by hand. The brand new facility features a state-of-the artwork sandblasting and paint cubicles for ending operator homes and motor room enclosures. Galvanizing is accomplished offsite by contractors.
Along with Skytrac, Leitner-Poma, Demaclenko and Prinoth, a fifth HTI firm can also be concerned with the Tooele mission. Wind vitality producer Leitwind provided a 250 kilowatt wind turbine able to powering all the plant. Italians have been on website final week testing the turbine to arrange to hook as much as Rocky Mountain Energy’s regional grid.
Skytrac constructed 9 full lifts in 2024 and plans to do at the least that many once more this 12 months. Throughout my go to, the development staff was outdoors getting ready to fan out throughout the nation as Skytrac nears its one hundredth new elevate.
