The Stertil Group Announces $7.5MM Expansion of Global HQ

Stertil Group B.V. Next Phase of Sustainable Growth Investment with the $7.5 million Expansion of Global HQ Stertil B.V., Kootstertille, The Netherlands.

KOOTSTERTILLE, The Netherlands, 25th August 2021 - The Stertil Group B.V. Kootstertille, The Netherlands, is underway with the next phase in a multi-million investment programme in its facilities around the world with this $7.5 million two acre expansion. The expansion is required for the Kootstertille site in answer to the increasing global market demand for Stertil-Koni heavy duty vehicle lifting solutions and scheduled to be completed at between the end of the year and beginning 2022.
Recently, in May of this year, the Group also took the opportunity to acquire an additional 6.5 acres extra plot of ground from the local municipality that will ensure that the company can expand far into the future.

In-line with the Stertil Group’s vision, the expansion in Kootstertille offers a “green” building with the generation of electricity from solar panels, optimal insulation, ventilation, LED lighting and most importantly, more capacity for the Number 1 worldwide heavy duty vehicle lift manufacturer.

FROM PAST TO FUTURE

“Stertil” was established sixty years ago in 1961. The name is derived from the town in which the company is located, “Kootstertille”. Stertil is ranked as one of the most successful global Dutch manufacturing companies in The Netherlands. The finalisation of the Stertil Group’s first phase production modernisation plan in The Netherlands was realised in 2014 with the addition of modern ergonomic flow manufacturing and the further automation of assembly lines for in particular, the bespoke regenerative mobile column vehicle lift—the EARTHLIFT®.

LOCAL STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS IN MAJOR GLOBAL MARKETS

The Stertil Group continue to invest in global regional markets for its sales and production organisations. Stertil-Koni USA, Stevensville, Maryland, was founded in the 1990s supplying the US and Canadian bus, truck, construction, military, agricultural and other commercial vehicle industries.

In 2008 the Group acquired Stertil ALM, Streator, Illinois, embracing the opportunity to take-over the production facility and fuelled by increasing worldwide demand for Stertil-Koni lifts and especially in its major market, the USA. This facilitated the increase in demand, the effective distribution of the vehicle lifts, and at the same time, provided additional employment in the local region. The Streator facility occupies a 10 acre site with the most modern manufacturing equipment for the production of the highest quality products and safety working standards in the industry. Further investment in 2011 and 2016 pursued at the Stertil-ALM manufacturing site with an additional multi-million dollar investment and expansion programme providing extra production capacity and more jobs for the local community.

FROM WEST TO EAST AND THEN BACK WEST

In 2015 Stertil China was established in Qingdao, a major harbour city on the Yellow Chinese Sea in the eastern Shandong Province. The Stertil Group acknowledged the increasing demand in the Asia Pacific region for bus and truck lifts. A number of lifts are assembled and distributed from here, this also in-line with the Group’s strategy to provide product solutions, tailored to local market requirements.

Now in 2021, as global demand continues to grow exponentially and where preventive maintenance and repair is a part of the circular economy, the expansion will help bring new and existing products faster to their end-destination. The improvement of on-site logistics, storage capacity as well expanding office space for the Supply Chain, Marketing and Sales departments will be facilitated by the expansion.

The significant Stertil®-Koni Experience and Knowledge Centre will also be realised at the Kootstertille site. It will be comparable to its counterpart in Streator, with a full range of Stertil-Koni heavy duty vehicle lifts and workshop equipment—completely operational for training and demonstration purposes, as well as providing qualification and certification programmes on best-practices to the extensive network of international Stertil-Koni Service and Installation Engineers.

THANKS TO OUR INVESTORS AND BEING THE SPECIALISTS IN HEAVY DUTY

President and CEO of the Stertil Group, Ulbe Bijlsma, “The Stertil Group have a long-term investment plan made possible by our investors and with the support of our local municipal council who have granted the building permits. The fundament of our plan is based on a continued commitment to the industries we serve in providing products which answer customer needs, now and long into the future. This in a setting which is sustainable, provides a healthy and a good working environment for our employees and gives opportunities both locally and globally. At Stertil we enjoy being challenged, you can see this from our track record. It is more the rule than the exception that we start investment projects when we are confronted with some or other difficult external circumstances. This no different today. Stertil like many other production companies, are facing challenging supply issues with sourcing materials and container transportation. Despite all of the disruption around the world and the trying economic conditions, we go ahead with our plans to build a safer and better product which is designed and developed by skilled employees in a pleasurable working environment and is sustainable for many years to come.”

About The Stertil Group

The Stertil Group with its global headquarters in Kootstertille, The Netherlands, develops, manufactures, markets and sells high quality products to heavy duty vehicle workshops globally. Worldwide there are 500 employees of which 240 employees are based at the Headquarters in The Netherlands. The Stertil Group has state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in The Netherlands and in Streator IL, U.S.A.; and sales subsidiaries in the U.S.A, Germany, The Netherlands, China, UK, France, Poland and Turkey with more than 100 exclusive distributors around the world. The Stertil Group’s centre of innovation excellence is located in The Netherlands, with a comprehensive Research & Development team. Stertil is at the top of “The Top 100 Best Manufacturing Companies in The Netherlands —for companies in the category up to €500 million—and is committed to offering the best-in-class quality product solutions.

About Stertil-Koni USA

Stertil-Koni - proud to be a Buy America company - is the market leader in heavy duty vehicle lifts, notably bus lifts and truck lifts, and proudly serves municipalities, state agencies, school bus fleets, major corporations, the U.S. Military and more. Stertil-Koni's breadth of products meets all ranges of lifting needs and includes portable lifts such as Mobile Column Lifts, 2-post, 4-post, inground piston lifts, platform lifts, and its axle-engaging, inground, scissor lift configuration, ECOLIFT. The company’s innovative, inground telescopic piston DIAMONDLIFT is now available with an optional Continuous Recess system, ideal for low clearance vehicles. Stertil-Koni USA is headquartered in Stevensville, Maryland with production facilities in Europe, The Netherlands, and Streator, IL. 

Any Specific questions please contact the following:
Anita Mandema-Boyce, Global Marketing Manager
Stertil B.V. Tel: +31-512-33 45 18 amandema@stertil.nl, www.stertil.com