At a linear distance of 6,700 km from the Black Forest, the “International Aviation Snow Symposium” opened its doors for the 50th time in Buffalo on 24 April 2016. About 500 airport operators from the U.S. and Canada seized the opportunity to obtain first-hand information about winter service and infrastructure maintenance. Moreover, the visitors to the exhibition were able to get a general overview of the latest vehicle and equipment technologies. Premiering as a vehicle exhibitor at the Snow Symposium, the ASH Group got off to a flying start in the North American airport equipment market, in addition to successfully launching its marketing activities under the banner of the new AS North America division. Following the acquisition of the two companies Meyer (Cleveland) and Swenson (Lindenwood) last year, the Aebi Schmidt Holding (ASH Group) is now also placing a stronger focus on municipal and winter equipment in North America with its Aebi and Schmidt brands. “We have the clear goal of getting closer to end customers in this market and introducing our innovative products to North America in the way they are known here in Europe. In the U.S., it is particularly important that customers associate us with the philosophy of being «easy to do business with» and that we live and breathe this culture. We want to gain a foothold as soon as possible, specifically in the airport business, and ultimately achieve a significant increase in sales“, says Stefan Heiniger, CEO of the ASH Group.
In addition to the Schmidt TJS-C 630 compact towed jet sweeper with a brush width of 6.3 m, visitors to the fair stand had the opportunity to take a look at a Schmidt Tarron MS 80.1 W snow plough with a cutting edge length of 8 m. The powerful duo permits quick and reliable clearing operations at speeds of up to approx. 55 km/h. Effective rough clearing via plough, fine clearing via brush and back-to-black clearing via blower take place in one single go, with the plough and the brush being angled by 32°. Since the market launch in 2004, more than 330 TJS vehicles have been in service at airports in Europe and Asia – since 2016, the Schmidt TJS has also entered the North American continent, continuing the success story of the jet sweepers from the Black Forest together with its “little sister” – the Schmidt CJS.
Heavyweight on a journey
“Shortly before the Easter weekend, the TJS-C 630 was transported from the factory in St. Blasien to Bremerhaven via heavy haulage, from where it continued its journey by ship to Baltimore on the east coast of the U.S.“, explains Markus Böhler from the Service Department of Aebi Schmidt International. “Following its arrival in Baltimore in mid-April, the TJS was once again loaded onto a special transporter. The safety regulations in the area around the Port of Baltimore are stringent; access is only permitted for authorised persons and haulers, which is why the colleagues of the ASH Group had to wait for the vehicle to exit the port before they could take it on the 590-km journey to Buffalo.”
“The efforts of many committed colleagues within the ASH Group have made it possible that everything arrived in time”, says Mike Moore, International Key Account Manager of the ASH Group. “The collaboration across continents was really fantastic. From order and product management as well as development in St. Blasien to the Service Department of Aebi Schmidt International and the local colleagues of Swenson and Meyer, everybody worked flat out to make the appearance of Schmidt at the Snow Symposium possible despite the short lead time. For us, the event was ultimately a raving success. We had a lot of interesting conversations and even arranged the first few appointments for demonstrations at various U.S. and Canadian airports.”
The TJS-C 630 on display will undergo an extended evaluation at Buffalo Niagara International Airport in the upcoming winter season. Its transport from the exhibition grounds to its new location was done in style: The TJS-C rolled along the roads of Buffalo on its own wheels, escorted by the Buffalo Airport Police Department. A successful debut in the U.S. – for both the TJS and the ASH Group.
