Who We Are
UNCOMMON ENGINEERING
Not only do our scissor and boom lifts raise fellow human beings high into the air, they must also safely bring them back down. And they need to do both safely and smoothly, again and again. So, our machines are engineered beyond the industry norm, to an uncommon level of safety and durability. But they’re also engineered to be simple — simple to operate and simple to maintain. Which is somewhat uncommon.
Our Mission
To achieve the height of excellence with world-class products, safety, service and value through unwavering effort, honesty and commitment.
Health & Safety
At Snorkel, we are a family. That’s why we care about the well-being of our co-workers by maintaining a safe environment. We make it our business to put health and safety above all else to ensure a comfortable and secure Snorkel workplace anywhere in the world.
Creating a safe and healthy environment is the responsibility of each Snorkel employee. Proper training and accountability are instilled in every department, and our health and safety policy is central to everything we do.
Sustainability
LIFTING HIGH, KEEPING IMPACT LOW
Manufacturing can be a dirty business. But not here. At Snorkel, we feel just as responsible for the environment we build our machines in as we do the people those machines lift. So, we work hard at keeping our environmental impact low. We use only water-based paints, which are far less toxic than other paints. We carefully use and properly dispose of any solvents or petroleum products we use. Water use is carefully monitored, and we use reclaimed water wherever possible. We also recycle as much scrap material as we can.
Lean production and the relentless pursuit to eliminate waste define the Snorkel way of manufacturing. Producing simple, reliable and robust machines, efficiently, is what we do best. We start with intelligent designs, like common spare parts among sister products and durable all-steel construction. Then we build our products using sustainable materials and processes that mutually benefit customers.
Snorkel does not just build for today. Our circular manufacturing philosophy ensures that Snorkel products deliver time and time again. All new machines are designed and built from heavy-duty steel so that they can be easily remanufactured, maximizing the total life of the product, and ultimately reducing waste.
Snorkel has achieved the following ISO certifications at its UK manufacturing facility: ISO 9001: Quality Management Systems, ISO 14001: Environmental Management & ISO50001: Energy Management
We adhere to the European Rental Association (ERA) Sustainable Supplier framework. Contact us to request our current Supplier Performance Checklist.
Quality Standards
Quality is our culture. It is built into everything we do. It is integral within our leadership, our processes, our products and our customer service. We build to the highest standard to deliver the highest quality.
HISTORY
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BORN TO FIGHT FIRES
Snorkel was founded by Art Moore in 1959. The Snorkel No. 1 allowed firefighters to shoot large amounts of water onto flames from as high as 85 ft. (25.9m). A true hero in more ways than one, our early articulating boom put out fires and set new industry standards in fire and rescue safety.
Learn more about Snorkel’s late founder Art Moore, and the history of the company in his published autobiography, ‘My Story’. Available to purchase.
1959
Snorkel was founded by Art Moore as a firefighting equipment company that developed an aerial work platform specifically designed for aerial firefighting and rescue work. These products set the standard for aerial firefighting equipment.
1971
Privately owned until 1971, Art Moore remained as company president when Snorkel was acquired by Figgie International, a Fortune 500 company.
1977
Snorkel entered the construction and industrial market with its first telescopic boom lifts. Premiering the first aluminum upper booms and platforms in the industry, the Snorkel TB-42 and TB-42P utilized technology from the firefighting product line, including state-of-the-art hydraulic and electrical systems, and helped to position Snorkel as a market leader for boom lifts.
1986
Art Moore launched the UNO articulated boom lift for plant maintenance. This became one of Snorkel’s most popular models.
1988
To complement its boom range, Snorkel acquired Economy Engineering, a leading manufacturer of self-propelled scissor lifts and ground entry vertical lift work platforms.
The ATB-60 became immensely popular within the industry and Art considered it one of his all-time favourite lifts. This 60-ft. articulated boom could be stowed to allow two booms to be loaded into a single truck, which helped reduce transport costs for customers and dealers.
1989
Developing a global manufacturing footprint, Snorkel acquired global manufacturing facilities in Levin, New Zealand and established sales and service offices in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia. The acquisition expanded Snorkel’s offerings to include trailer mounted machines and broadened its product line in Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
1991
Art retired from Snorkel in 1991. He sat on the Snorkel board of directors until his passing in 2019.
1997
Snorkel became part of OmniQuip International Inc., who sold the fire and rescue apparatus product lines to American LaFrance, a subsidiary of Freightliner, to focus fully on the aerial lifts division.
1999
OmniQuip and the rest of its attached companies, including Snorkel, would be sold to the conglomerate Textron Inc.
2002
Elwood Holdings LLC purchased Snorkel OmniQuip and re-opened the plant in Elwood, Kansas, which had been closed in 2001.
2007
UK-based The Tanfield Group Plc purchased Snorkel from Elwood Holdings LLC, and created a global distribution network for the aerial lifts.
2010
The Tanfield Group introduced new branding for Snorkel, creating a consistent global brand and product line.
2013
U.S.-based Xtreme Manufacturing LLC, owned by Don Ahern, acquired 51% of the Snorkel from The Tanfield Group Plc, becoming the majority shareholder.
2016
Shared with Xtreme Manufacturing, Snorkel moved to a new global corporate headquarters in Henderson, Nevada, and added manufacturing capacity.
Art Moore published “My Story,” a touching, funny and detailed memoir of the early firefighting and aerial work platform industry, from the man who founded Snorkel.
Buy the book: www.artmoorememoirs.com
2017
Snorkel celebrated the 40th anniversary of the TB-42, the company’s first telescopic boom.
Art Moore was inducted into the ARA Hall of Fame.
2019
SNORKEL CELEBRATES 60 YEARS.
Manufacturing & Distribution
Reaching out as well as up
Anywhere around the world, Snorkel is there. Sold and serviced worldwide, our footprint includes five manufacturing plants and more than 200 distribution locations.
Snorkel’s ethos is to ‘think global, act local.’ This means that we have a global manufacturing footprint to ensure we build our products as close to the market as possible. Snorkel operates six manufacturing facilities globally, a total of 953,715 sq. ft. (88,600sqm), with facilities in Henderson, Nevada, USA; St. Joseph, Missouri, USA; Washington, Tyne & Wear, UK; Levin, New Zealand; and Jintan, Jiangsu Province, China.
We also believe in being close to our customers, wherever they are. The Snorkel product line is sold and serviced in more than 50 countries worldwide through a network of more than 200 distribution branches. This includes over 100 directly owned distributorships in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia, plus a global network of more than 100 independent distributor locations.
Awards & Recognitions
All Snorkel products are engineered to be simple, reliable and robust. Our aerial lifts are backed by decades of loyal customers, and a few shiny trophies.
2021 World of Safety & Health Asia Awards - Safety Category Winner
Snorkel S9070RT-HC
2021 International Awards for Powered Acces Product of the Year - Scissor Lifts & Vertical Mast Platforms
Snorkel S3019E
RER Innovative Product Award 2019 - Honorable Mention
Snorkel S3019E
2019 Access, Lift & Handlers Product Innovation
Snorkel S3019E
2019 LLEAP Awards, Aerial Lifts - Gold
Snorkel S3019E
2017 Access, Lift & Handlers Product Innovation
Snorkel TM16E
2017 Rental Editor's Choice Awards
Snorkel TM12E
Certifications & Memberships
Snorkel is proud to be an active participant in the aerial lift industry and customer markets, through membership of leading trade associations globally.
ARA American Rental Association
ARA American Rental Association - Michigan
ARA American Rental Association - Minnesota
AEM Association of Equipment Manufacturers
CRA California Rental Association
ERA European Rental Association
IPAF International Powered Access Federation
MHI
