“In addition to further developing our snow clearance, de-icing and telematics business, we also see enormous potential for our sweeper business in the USA,” says Barend Fruithof, the Aebi Schmidt group CEO. The ELP acquisition means that the Aebi Schmidt group now also has a significant sales presence in Canada.
In line with the strategy, the first Street King 660 – a particularly powerful and efficient truck-mounted sweeper in the Aebi Schmidt range – was shipped to Canada in June 2021. This was not only the opening move in the campaign to develop the sweeper business in North America, but also an ideal opportunity to bring the two teams together and establish a solid basis for cooperation. “We felt very welcome and are excited to be part of such a professional team at ELP,” says Simon Boucher, Manager Airport Sales & Projects at Aebi Schmidt Canada.
The sales, service and operator training for the Street King 660 was provided in bilingual training sessions, and colleagues at ELP were likewise very pleased with the excellent preparation and enthusiasm of their introduction to the Street King 660 – a unique sweeper design offering a high degree of flexibility and adaptability. The interactive element in particular, from being familiarised with the operating system all the way to the live sweeping and cleaning of the machine, went down very well, providing a practical supplement to participants’ theoretical knowledge of the advantages of the Street King 660, such as its high suction power, the large, 7 m³ debris hopper and the high water volume, all of which help to ensure long deployment periods and high efficiency.
Also on the agenda for the meeting was a visit by a local customer interested in the AS 660 with additional rear suction for the coming winter season. The AS 660 is a sweeper like the Street King 660, albeit one intended for use in airports, as it is perfectly matched to the requirements of such facilities. Aebi Schmidt’s newly expanded presence in Canada made it possible for the customer to attend an inspection and demonstration of the machine. In addition to a complete introduction to the functions of the operating system, the customer was able to attend a live demonstration and see for itself the thoroughness of the AS 660’s sweeping performance and full-surface suction across the entire vehicle width. And since the truck-mounted sweeper has its own self-supporting frame, it can be mounted to any model of HGV that meets the requirements in terms of loading capacity (between 15 and 18 t; wheelbase of approx. 3,200–3,500 mm), regardless of the country.
A successful opening move, then. Both teams profited from each other: one from a comprehensive introduction to the world of Aebi Schmidt sweepers by way of the Street King 660 and the AS 660, and the other from the circumstances and demands of the Canadian market, by way of a live customer demonstration.