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About Simpro

The background and history.

Overview

Simpro has been developing and manufacturing smart materials handling equipment for four decades. From humble beginnings as a small engineering firm in Auckland, New Zealand, the company has grown to become a leading global supplier of handling equipment for niche applications - bin lifters and tippers, pallet stackers, crate trucks and goods elevators.

Simpro products play an unobtrusive but essential role for thousands of companies around the world, in industries as diverse as waste management, food processing, resource extraction and pharmaceutical manufacturing. They are supplied through Simpro Europe in Poland, alongside a network of dealers and service agents spanning the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Australasia, and are backed by a sophisticated in-house design and fabrication capability.

Simpro is a family-owned company, registered with the New Zealand Companies Office as Simpro Handling Equipment Limited, company no. 1827916.

As new technologies appear and new markets develop, the pace of change is plainly not about to ease. But our team at Simpro remains committed to staying in front the same way we have for the past four decades - through constant innovation.

Stephen Simmons - Managing Director - Simpro Handling Equipment Ltd

Timeline

Here are some milestones of the past four decades:

  1. Founded. Simpro Handling Equipment is started in Auckland, New Zealand by mechanical engineer Stephen Simmons, building truck-mounted lifting machinery.
  2. First factory. Premises leased in Onehunga, Auckland.
  3. First bin lifter. The Ezi-Dump stationary bin lifter is released, using a complex mechanical screw drive.
  4. Hydraulic breakthrough. Development of an efficient hydraulic tipping mechanism - still in use today, in evolutionary form, on Simpro products.
  5. Quikstak patented. Development and patenting of the Quikstak “smart-stacker” with infra-red height sensing function.
  6. First exports. Sales begin to Australia.
  7. MegaDumper launched. Development of the MegaDumper heavy-duty industrial bin tippers.
  8. New millennium, new home. Simpro acquires larger premises in Auckland to accommodate an expanding manufacturing operation; over 1,000 machines built.
  9. Reaching further afield. Further export markets developed, including the UK. Continued sales growth in Australia and New Zealand despite increased competition following expiry of IP protection.
  10. Innovation through recession. Despite global recession, multiple new products developed and released including Multi-Tip, Crate Wizard and solar power. All product design transitions to a CAD environment.
  11. Eco-friendly alternative. The Ezi-MT manual bin tipper is released as a cost effective and eco-friendly alternative to hydraulic machines.
  12. Rapid prototyping. Purchase of the company's first 3D printer.
  13. Into North America. Agent agreement with Solus Group in Missouri, USA, expanded sales reach into the North American market.
  14. Takanini headquarters. Simpro announces the acquisition of a new office and manufacturing facility in Takanini, South Auckland, in order to accommodate future growth.
  15. Online superstore. Simpro announces the launch of a new, online materials handling superstore, in order to better serve our customers.
  16. Into South America. Appointment of Texinco as Simpro's distributor for Chile, establishing a foothold in the South American market.
  17. Canadian partnership. Partnership agreement with Terraforma Systems in Canada extends Simpro's North American distribution network.
  18. Award finalist. Simpro is named a finalist in the Excellence in Innovation category at the Westpac Auckland Business Awards.
  19. Simpro Europe. Establishment of Simpro Europe Sp. z o.o in Poland as central representative for the European market.