Major US Government Snorkel boom order

Snorkel has received an order from equipment sales and service specialist Alden Equipment for 60 of its A46JRT articulated boom lifts.

The order, received in April 2021, will be delivered by Alden Equipment to an undisclosed US Government customer and will be shipped to a number of locations in the US and internationally. The booms, which have been adapted for the government, are being assembled by Snorkel at its manufacturing facility in Elwood, Kansas.

The A46JRT has a maximum working height of 52 ft 11 in (16.3m), and a working outreach of 24 ft 11 in (7.35m), and benefits from a zero tailswing and 5 ft (1.5m) jib boom for optimum maneuverability in confined spaces.

From left: Mike Coleman, regional sales manager - AZ, NM, UT & CO, Xtreme Manufacturing & Snorkel; Bill Carter, technical, service & outside sales, Alden Equipment; Matthew Elvin, CEO, Xtreme Manufacturing & Snorkel; Charles Barber, sales manager, Alden Equipment; Robby Hagan, senior vice president of sales - North America, Xtreme Manufacturing & Snorkel; David Smith, president – Elwood, Snorkel.

Adapted for the US Government, the A46JRT features a new dual-envelope design which provides an unrestricted lifting capacity of 650 lbs (295kg) which increases to 750 lbs (340kg) when working within a restricted envelope area. The machines also have updated upper and lower control panels, as well as a new 72 in x 30 in (1.82m x 0.76m) aluminum platform with saloon-door style entry gates and high-grip flooring.

Equipped for a range of environments and applications, the lifts have been fitted with multiple options including an aircraft package, tow kit, light package, extreme environment package, cold weather package, battery warmer, and power and air lines to the platform. The A46JRT’s are painted in custom colours and feature reflective tape.

Founded in 1979, Alden Equipment started out as an equipment repair company before branching out into equipment sales. In 2008, the company entered into a long-term GSA contract with the US Government for the international supply of material handling equipment, and in 2015 obtained three long-term DLA HEPP contracts. Located in Amsterdam, New York, they are also a government and special projects dealer for Snorkel lifts.

Charles Barber, sales manager at Alden Equipment secured the government order, and said, “We are incredibly pleased to secure this initial order for 60 Snorkel A46JRT’s for our US Government customer, which involved a significant year-long bid process. The Snorkel A46JRT is the ideal product for their project, and I would like to express our thanks to Mike Coleman and the Snorkel team for working with us to adapt the lift to meet their exact requirements.”

David Smith, president, Snorkel’s Elwood facility, added, “This is a significant volume order for Snorkel A46JRT’s and I speak on behalf of our team in Elwood, Kansas when I say that it gives us tremendous pride to build products that are destined for use for by US Government agencies, on home soil and abroad. I would also like to thank Alden Equipment for their dedication to securing this order which we know takes a lot of time and effort from their side.”