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An Operation Based on Tradition

Sichelschmidt was founded in 1914 by brothers Carl and Walter Sichelschmidt, and originally manufactured stampings and locks, as did many other companies in the region. In order to facilitate the internal movement of material, they also produced devices to transport and lift bags and drums. These proved to be such a success that Sichelschmidt founded a general partnership in 1931 for the purpose of “the manufacture and distribution of lifting and transportation devices.” The 1940s saw the beginnings of the serial production of hoists with electric winches which could be steered by hand, although on the whole Sichelschmidt concentrated on the manufacture of purely manual hoists such as the grain conveyor with a crank handle for handling drums and bags, which was patented in 1949.

From Crank Handle to Electric truck

It was not until the 1950’s that the focus shifted to battery electric powered trucks, and during this time Sichelschmidt produced many specialized machines for a wide array of applications. Sichelschmidt was not slow in responding to new trends, setting the course for the company’s future development. In the early 1960’s it designed and built the first Explosion-proof electric forklift for a Düsseldorf based chemical company. Today Sichelschmidt stands as the worldwide leading producer and technical innovator in this niche sector. In 1992 Sichelschmidt consolidated its reputation as a true pioneer when it introduced AC technology in electric vehicles onto the global market, which eventually lead to Sichelschmidt being the first company to offer a complete line of state-of-the-art AC forklift drive systems.