Throughout the world, companies are employing ESG strategies to enhance their businesses.
Originally used as a philosophy for finance and investing, ESG – or environmental, social and governance – initiatives have expanded into a structure that evaluates a company’s business practices.
Among other goals, ESG programs aim to enhance sustainability practices, create positive working environments with employees, customers and communities, and guide corporate governance procedures.
With lofty environmental targets on the horizon and safety as a top priority, the aviation industry – including the ground support equipment and ground handling markets – is taking action to employ ESG programs in various ways.
As a company that has been producing electric-powered lifts since the 1960s, officials at Lift-A-Loft understand the importance of minimizing their company’s carbon footprint.
As such, Lift-A-Loft has begun investing in new battery technology and utilizing electric chassis.
“As our GSE sector has continued to grow, we have begun adapting our APX series to run and drive on lithium batteries,” says Braedon Stark-Abbott, sales associate at Lift-A-Loft. “We also have begun design work and are now offering our truck-mounted TL scissor, which is traditionally on a gas chassis on a Ford etransit.”
As the GSE industry – and other markets around the world – shift to using more sustainable energy, Stark-Abbott says Lift-A-Loft found it necessary to be part of this change.
“Airports are under constant pressure to reduce their pollutants and an easy start is by electrifying GSE,” he says.
Since the start of 2023, Lift-A-Loft has delivered more than 30 of its electric APX series lifts to airline customers, with more scheduled to be deployed soon. Stark-Abbott says staying in direct communication with customers has helped overcome challenges and has allowed for a successful roll out.
“For our APX, as a relatively small company, the strain was mostly on the design team,” Stark-Abbott says. “Deciding what batteries would be best suited for all climates, deciding the chassis for our APX to maximize the battery life while also considering the need for a durable chassis that can withstand the beatings of the tarmac.
“Another challenge is cost and availability of electric chassis with enough payload for a scissor lift for our non-APX units.”
By offering both the APX medium duty lift and TL22 truck-mounted unit on electric chassis, officials at Lift-A-Loft hope more companies will consider converting their equipment to electric. Having electric units available has allowed Lift-A-Loft to supply its equipment in areas that require clean energy products such as California, Stark-Abbott notes.
According to Lift-A-Loft officials, feedback on electric chassis lifts has been favorable.
“As these units are a newer product for us, we keep an open line of communication with our customers and have service people on standby to help fix any issue that could arise,” Stark-Abbott says, noting the company intends to expand its eGSE offerings.
“We plan on being able to offer our heavy-duty 32-foot maintenance lift on an electric chassis in the near future as well.”
