History
The history of Konecranes dates back to 1910, when the electrical motor repair shop, KONE Corporation, was founded. Konecranes has grown organically over the years, but has a strong acquisition track record as well.
In celebration of 10th Anniversary of Konecranes, a special history edition of the Konecranes World Magazine was released. Click to read.
![Konecranes history began in 1910, when the electrical motor repair shop, KONE Corporation, was founded.]](../ap-pics/kuva-historia.jpg)
| Konecranes history |
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| 1933 | KONE Corporation started to build sizeable Electric Overhead Traveling Cranes. Our primary customers were from the pulp, paper, and power industry. |
| 1936 | The company started to manufacture Electric Wire Rope Hoists. Harbor cranes were added to the product range in 1947. |
| 1950's | The harbor cranes business line experienced strong growth during the post-war economy. |
| 1962 | KCI Konecranes signed the first Preventive Maintenance Contract with one of its customers. |
| 1973 | The company started to expand internationally and made its first acquisition in Norway (Wisbech-Refsum). In 1983, the company established its first foothold in the U.S., R&M Materials Handling in Springfield, Ohio. In 1986, Konecranes acquired a company in France (Verlinde), headquartered in Vernouillet. (A detailed M&A History is available under Investor information) |
| 1988 | In 1988, crane operations were organized into the KONE Cranes Division of KONE Corporation. |
| 1990 | From 1990 onwards the company kept a high focus on establishing technical leadership. |
| 1991 | The company established its own offices in the UK by acquiring the company Lloyds British Testing with operations in the UK and Australia. A large restructuring program was launched and continued until 1994. Among other actions, crane production facilities were cut from 19 to 4. |
| 1994 | KCI Konecranes was formed on April 15, 1994, when KONE Corporation, a Finland-based group listed on the Helsinki Stock exchange, sold the operations of its crane division. |
| 1996 | In 1996, KCI Konecranes was listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Konecranes is a broad, internationally held company. |
| 1997 | In 1997, KCI Konecranes made its first acquisition in Germany when MAN SWF Krantechnik, was acquired. KCI Konecranes has experienced high organic growth in Germany and continued with several bolt-on acquisitions in year 2000. |
| 2002 | In 2002 KCI Konecranes was the first foreign crane company in China to receive a complete range of business licensees, including import and export. The same year we succeeded in creating a bridgehead in Japan by establishing a joint venture agreement with Meidensha Corporation. |
| 2004 | Reach Stackers and Lift Trucks were added to product range through the acquisition of SMV Lifttrucks AB of Markaryd, Sweden. |
| 2005 | KCI Konecranes acquisition of R.STAHL AG's material handling division from R.Stahl Fördertechnik of Germany, brought together some of the crane industry's strongest brands and most innovative technologies. Stahl has been a significant player in the field of specialized lifting applications. |
| 2006 | KCI Konecranes acquired MMH Holdings, Inc and expanded its product range. The acquisition also brought new opportunities for growth in Maintenance Services through the large installed base of MMH cranes. |
| 2007 | Konecranes acquires two machine tool service companies in Scandinavia, a Finnish container handling software specialist, and a ports service business in Italy. |