Combilift specialises in the design and manufacture of customised material handling solutions for palletised loads, long loads, as well as heavy and oversized goods. Founded in 1998, the Irish manufacturer has revolutionised warehouse operations, maximising space, enhancing safety, and improving operational efficiency. Since launching the groundbreaking C4000 multidirectional forklift 27 years ago, its range of products has expanded significantly to include pedestrian stackers, side loaders, articulated trucks, container loaders, and straddle carriers.
CEO and co-founder at Combilift
Now celebrating a remarkable milestone with the production of its 100,000th forklift, Combilift exports to more than 85 countries worldwide.
Innovation is in Combilift’s DNA, with 6% of annual revenue invested in R&D, resulting in numerous product advancements, patents, and industry awards. By focusing on sustainable practices and maximising space utilisation, Combilift remains a global leader in the material handling sector, supporting diverse industries such as warehousing and logistics.
Martin McVicar, CEO and co-founder of Combilift spoke to Warehouse & Logistics News.
What are your best-known products/solutions/services?
We are best known for our innovative range of multidirectional forklifts, designed to handle long and awkward loads while navigating tight spaces. Alongside this, we also offer a wide range of customised material handling solutions that help businesses maximise storage capacity, enhance safety, and improve efficiency in their existing warehouses and manufacturing facilities.
Our flagship products include the Aisle Master articulated VNA truck, designed for high-density storage in very narrow aisles, and the Combilift C-Series multidirectional forklift, ideal for handling long and bulky loads both indoors and outdoors.
However, we have always seen Combilift as much more than design engineers and manufacturers of forklifts and other handling solutions. Space is one of the most valuable assets our customers possess, and optimising it can make a great difference to their operations.
We have a dedicated in-house team of design engineers and layout consultants who offer companies a free, no-obligation warehouse and yard optimisation service. This includes detailed layout drawings and a full rack or storage bay count tailored to the company’s specific products and operational needs. Through the unique capabilities of Combilift’s products, we demonstrate how to maximise storage capacity—often doubling it—while improving throughput and reducing double handling, all without the need for costly relocations or expansions.
What are your most recent product innovations?
Innovation is in our DNA, and it has been key to our success. Our team consistently designs exciting new solutions that keep us ahead of the curve, driven by a strong customer-centric approach. By actively listening to customer feedback, we create products that meet evolving market needs and often open up new niches.
This year, we introduced the Combi-SPI Self-Propelled Inloader, a customer-driven innovation designed to safely and efficiently handle 30-tonne precast concrete and other oversized materials, offering a highly manoeuvrable, cost-effective alternative to traditional trailers and trucks.
At Ligna, we unveiled two further innovations: the Combi-FSE 8000, an 8-tonne four-wheel electric sideloader, designed for exceptional performance in both indoor and outdoor environments. Ideal for handling structural timber, steel, and other long or bulky loads, it delivers powerful, emission-free operation in confined spaces, narrow aisles, and demanding yard conditions. The Combi Load Xtender is a new pantograph-style load extender that enables complete loading and unloading of trailers from a single side, ideal for tight yards or restricted access. These new solutions were developed in direct response to what we’re hearing from the timber sector. Customers need to move larger loads in tighter spaces with greater safety and lower emissions.
Additionally, the multidirectional electric Combi-CB70E, the shortest 7-tonne counterbalance forklift on the market, received the prestigious Red Dot Award for Product Design 2025. The international jury recognised its innovative ergonomic design, environmental efficiency, and exceptional ability to enhance operator comfort and productivity in demanding industrial settings. The Red Dot Award is one of the most respected design competitions globally, celebrating outstanding design quality and innovation. Winning this accolade for the third time is a proud achievement for Combilift and a clear testament to our visionary approach and continued leadership in shaping the future of the commercial vehicle industry.
What is your strategy for growth and success in 2026?
Combilift’s strategy for growth and success in 2026 is firmly rooted in continuous lifting innovation and our commitment to helping customers make the most of their space. We will continue investing 6% of annual revenue in R&D to create smarter, more energy-efficient handling solutions that address evolving industry challenges.
A key part of our strategy is our free warehouse design and layout service, which enables companies of all sizes to maximise storage capacity, safety, and operational efficiency without the need for costly relocation or expansion. By combining innovative product development with intelligent space optimisation, we aim to deliver even greater value to our customers while supporting sustainable growth across global markets.
Will advanced connectivity become more crucial for data sharing and communication between warehousing tasks and systems?
Beyond hardware, Combilift’s innovation extends to software solutions like Combi-Connect, a next-generation telematics solution, which enables businesses to monitor, manage, and optimise their material handling fleets.
This cloud-based platform delivers real-time performance monitoring, diagnostics, and usage analytics, providing fleet managers with real-time performance indicators, energy consumption, idle times, maintenance alerts, and remote updates. These valuable insights help clients optimise their fleet performance, management and efficiency, boost productivity, minimise downtime, and support proactive maintenance scheduling.
What work are you doing in the area of sustainability?
At Combilift, sustainability is at the core of our innovation and operations. We’re highly focused on making our vehicles more environmentally friendly and helping our customers maximise their warehouse efficiency Over 98% of our R&D is dedicated to designing and manufacturing energy-efficient and electric-powered equipment. More than 70% of our current production is now electric, including recent product innovations such as the Combi-CB70E, Combi-Cube, and Combi-FSE8000—all of which deliver powerful and emission-free performance.
As well as using electric power, our space-saving warehouse solutions reduce energy use by narrowing aisles, increasing racking height, and maximising storage capacity. Additionally, we produce versatile forklifts that can fulfil multiple roles with our “one-truck-does-all approach”. Engineered to navigate narrow aisles, doorways, and confined spaces with ease, they help customers maximise racking capacity, reduce fleet size, and lower their carbon footprint—delivering a more efficient, sustainable, and space-optimised solution.
We also offer free warehouse layout designs to help businesses optimise existing space, avoid unnecessary greenfield expansion, and operate more sustainably.
What sets your company apart from others?
Combilift is a solutions-based forklift manufacturer, which is why we like to visit each customer’s site, getting a hands-on perspective of what the customer really needs. We listen to our customers and take feedback on board so that we can provide customised material handling solutions that are not mass-produced but 100% designed to suit the unique needs of each customer.
While still providing tailored configurations that maximise operational efficiency, we use globally recognised brand parts, allowing for easy servicing and parts replacement readily available anywhere in the world. In addition, our extensive network of local dealers and service engineers provides on-the-ground support, with parts stocked and ready for quick delivery wherever you operate.
Our high-quality machines are robust and built to last, with a simple design for reliability, ensuring long-term durability and ease of maintenance.
The very first Combilift, a C4000 was delivered to a warehouse in Monaghan, where the HQ and manufacturing facilities are located, and 27 years later is still in operation.
This focus on quality and reliability also means that Combilift forklifts retain a high residual value, giving customers an excellent return on investment after purchase.
Alongside these factors and the previously mentioned warehouse layout service, we must consider the groundbreaking engineering features that are included in our product range, which includes multiple patents, such as the multidirectional function or the multi-position tiller arm in our pedestrian range, which offers safer operation, maximum operator visibility, and narrow aisle performance.
How would you sum up your company in three words?
Innovative, customer-focused, sustainable.
COMBILIFT
+ 353 47 80500
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