Interview with Sollevare Magazine

The acquisition by the Klubb group has brought back the international ambitions of the historic manufacturer from Fontaniva.

The strategies and expectations of a new industrial season in the words of Henri Bourrellis, Deputy CEO of the French group, and Luciano Lazzarin, Sales Director and witness to the technical and qualitative continuity of the Venetian company.

A year of reinvigorated industrial life, with new projects and market ambitions finally driven by a new international breath. This is the new identity of Isoli, the historic producer from Fontaniva (Pd) in the sector of truck-mounted aerial platforms, with a long-established tradition in the field of special equipment for emergency vehicles for both civil and military use. The rediscovered identity began in October 2022, thanks to the integration of the Venetian company into the French Klubb group, which bolstered its productive and commercial strategies, focusing on new models in the range and through intense marketing operations aimed at a strong cultural action in the field of safety for those working with aerial platforms.

In the large headquarters in Fontaniva, we met – with the valuable collaboration of Julie Ponroy, Communication Manager of the French group – the energetic personality of Henri Bourrellis, general manager and deputy CEO of Klubb, and the knowledgeable experience of Luciano Lazzarin, authoritative sales director with a long history at Isoli. In our conversation, the words of Henri Bourrellis outlined a sort of industrial mission to be accomplished, especially considering aerial platforms for those working at height. “I’ve been living in Castelfranco Veneto for several months now and I’ve had the opportunity to better observe the Italian context of operators, both in construction and in the so-called utility services,” informs us the general manager of Klubb. “My analysis is as follows: there are still too many people using inadequate tools to carry out dangerous work, even at the top of roofs and other high structures. The habit of using all kinds of ladders is still widespread, neglecting the now established applications of aerial platforms. We need to change this situation and to do so, we need to focus on AWP models that really promote the safe use of an aerial platform in all situations that require a modern and reliable tool for work at height. I believe that the current development of Isoli’s product and the dissemination effort, among companies, of Klubb platforms mounted on vans, are equally strategic points to expand our market and gain followers. In the name of operational safety and the technologies that truly support its improvement, in every sector, from construction to industry and services.”

The added value of the Green Pack Thanks to the integration with Klubb’s research and development department, Isoli has been able to equip a large part of its range of telescopic and articulated platforms with Green Pack technology, which allows the platform to work in fully electric mode, with the engine turned off. This novelty is very important, considering the stringent regulatory constraints – in terms of atmosphere and acoustics – adopted by public administrations regarding environmental issues, in relation to vehicles and operating machinery in urban centers. The possibility of working with a truck-mounted platform even indoors, reducing wear and tear on the diesel engine (enhanced, in Isoli setups, by the particulate filter of the new Euro 6 engines), and reducing maintenance needs translates into significant savings for rental fleets and service companies.

We want to delve into the products that Isoli offers to operators themselves, in the direction of truly profitable field use, analyzing some strengths in comparison with other market competitors. “First of all, it should be emphasized that the core business of the Isoli range of industrial truck-mounted platforms consists of B license models, that is, mounted on vehicles weighing 3.5 tons,” Luciano Lazzarin points out, at the beginning of his product analysis. “Our prerogative is to maintain, in the design, a light and compact structure of the aerial part, implementing a fundamental feature highly appreciated by operators. That is, the front attachment of the basket, very useful for carrying out more efficient work at height, especially near roofs and building coverings. In general, our production vocation is towards simplicity, for a range that finds its ideal application in rental. In our telescopic series, for example, we have carried out a specific update of our PT 160, PT 180, and PT 200 models, mounted on Iveco and Isuzu trucks, following a market demand that prefers operating heights for AWP – in the maintenance and construction sectors, for example – ranging from 16 to 20 meters. Italy’s market, then, has focused in recent years on articulated AWP series, considering the need for access in many confined spaces, especially in our urban centers. With our PNT line, we followed this need, proposing, among the latest innovations, machines from 20, 22, and 24 meters, with vertical stabilizers, in a compact shape, which further favor the compactness of the setup.”

The models referred to by Lazzarin are the PNT 200H, a 20-meter operational model, ideal for the rental market, and the PNT 240, also available in a “lightened” version, for a 24-meter operational height with significant outreach capacity. The new wave of modernity that Isoli is riding with the renewal of its range also concerns the implementation of full electric and hybrid versions as standard, following a well-established European and worldwide market trend. “Sustainability is part of our group’s DNA,” confirms Henri Bourrellis, speaking of the total philosophy that distinguishes the Klubb product galaxy. “By sustainability, we certainly mean respect for the environment and for the operator who comes into contact with a sensitive working environment. With the Isoli aerial platforms powered entirely by electricity, such as the PT160E, PT180E, and PT200E models, twins of the same thermally powered platforms from 16 to 20 meters operational, the maximum basket capacity of 300 kg expands the possibilities of intervention, with the possibility of hosting two operators at height, with the support of tools and equipment to be brought directly to height.

Sustainability ideally also applies to hybrid versions of articulated platforms such as the PNT200HE, in the intelligent integration between the electric motor and diesel propulsion and with the benefit of user-friendly controls and cutting-edge safety devices. Always looking out for the operator’s well-being.” Lazzarin also naturally shares the vision of Klubb’s general manager, considering the new sustainable technology adopted for Isoli platforms. “The tradition of our truck-mounted AWP is that of reliable machines that last over time,” emphasizes the sales director of the Fontaniva-based company. “Their structure is made with high-quality materials that guarantee an extreme level of resistance to fatigue. In the profiles, structural lightening is never exaggerated and takes into account, first and foremost, an effective fatigue resistance of the aerial part. Then, the implementation of new safety technologies on Isoli models, telescopic and articulated, raises the level of operational sustainability, with functions monitored by control modules for stabilization, measuring sensors for lifting capacity, devices that prevent entrapment and crushing in the basket, and state-of-the-art radio controls. We are practical and modern manufacturers, in line with the future but firmly anchored to the demands of the present, by those who work at height every day.”

Integration for a new season of growth The industrial reality of Isoli, founded immediately after the war, boasts a long history of prestigious production in the outfitting of trucks