As maintenance shops increasingly demand products that boost shop safety, performance and efficiency, James Wheeler, general manager and vice president of operations at Municipal Maintenance Equipment (MME), a Stertil-Koni distributor based in Sacramento, CA, reports substantial growth in the company’s sale of heavy duty (HD) vehicle lifts.

Core factors driving the expansion include increased requirements for maintaining vehicle uptime, added focus on preventative maintenance (PM) that advances overall fleet wellness and enhanced requirements to deliver the safest environment possible on the shop floor.

According to Wheeler, HD vehicle fleets –ranging from municipal and government agencies, to corporate entities, school transportation as well as private companies — are embracing the positive ROI delivered by selecting the very best in HD vehicle lifts in their maintenance operations.

Another factor boosting growth, Wheeler added, particularly in California, “is the State’s proactive stance on environmentally-friendly products, which are often mandated and a top priority.”

For its part, HD vehicle lift leader Stertil-Koni has gone “green” in a big way.     

“For example,” Wheeler noted, “the Stertil-Koni wireless mobile column EARTHLIFT is made from components that are 98% recyclable, while its inground telescopic piston DIAMONDLIFT and inground scissor ECOLIFT both utilize a high-pressure low fluid volume design.”

The Stertil-Koni DIAMONDLIFT also brings further cutting-edge features to the marketplace that have spurred sales. More specifically, the DIAMONDLIFT cassette version features a robust containment system incorporating Stertil-Koni’s DiamondGuard®, a high-quality coating protecting the cassettes from electrolysis and corrosion while preventing the possibility of hazardous workshop fluids from entering the surrounding environment.

Innovations in the DIAMONDLIFT also extend to how it uniquely raises HD vehicles. With a lifting capacity up to 35,000 lbs. per piston, or 105,000 lbs. in a 3-piston configuration, DIAMONDLIFT now features an optional Continuous Recess movable lifting system. Noted Wheeler, “This allows the bolster to recess flush to the floor anywhere in the horizontal range of piston travel. The Continuous Recess unit travels horizontally in its fully recessed position, thus accelerating lift setup and minimizing hazards with low-ground clearance vehicles.”

MME recently installed the first DIAMONDLIFT with Continuous Recess in North America. Wheeler explained that its customer – a large energy and power supplier – has a diverse range of trucks, some of which include equipment with low ground clearance.

For MME, market growth also means greater training and customer service requirements. “Today, there is much more of an emphasis on safety in maintenance facilities. In response, we have increased our internal education program for sales and service, and provide ongoing, hands-on training for our end-users,” continued Wheeler.

The company has also doubled its service team for rapid response. What’s more, this growth has prompted MME to recently move from its two-decade-old headquarters to a newly constructed 12,000 square foot facility — triple the size of its previous location. At the same time, MME modernized its maintenance bays and invested in the latest tools. In addition, MME expanded its sales territory for Stertil-Koni lifts into Nevada and Utah and built a 5,500 square foot facility/warehouse in Las Vegas.

“In the big picture,” concluded Wheeler, “we have enjoyed continued positive growth and we still love what we do!” The company was founded in 1992 by James’s parents, Frank and Helen Wheeler. At that time, the company was housed in a single location with seven employees. Today, MME has five sites and 42 team members.

As Stertil-Koni President, Dr. Jean DellAmore summed it up: “MME’s dedication to Stertil-Koni’s world-class product line, coupled with a keen service- and solution-based approach has put them at the very forefront of the heavy duty vehicle lifting industry in their region. We’re delighted to have MME on our team.”