In her first trip Down Under, Cranes and Lifting had the chance to interview Sinoboom CEO Susan Xu, discussing all things in the MEWP industry and her career to date.
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It takes skill, dexterity, and courage to take a business from one corner of the map to a global superpower, and it takes even more to do it as a woman.
However, now the CEO of a company appearing in all continents bar Antarctica and the only female Asian International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) Council member, Susan Xu’s career has consistently involved kicking down traditional stereotypes; however, when quizzed about gender diversity, Susan is all business.
“There are obviously moments where it can get a little bit tough, but that’s okay,” she said. “Gender diversity is a significant issue in many industries in the world, but I’ve never let it get in my way: for me, people are people, and should be treated on a case-by-case basis.”
It’s a philosophy she’s carried with her throughout her entire working career, but especially with the inception of global mobile elevated working platforms (MEWP) company, Sinoboom. Founded on February 28, 2008, in Changsha, China, by Susan and her husband Steven, Sinoboom’s story has seen it grow from being an aerial work platform supplier in China to now having its products found in over 80 countries across the globe and vigorously challenging the status quo in the AWP manufacturing game. According to Susan, Sinoboom’s growth has been built on learning from its past: after all, a core value at Sinoboom is that science fosters progress – and a key part of science is observing what has happened previously before figuring out what to do next.
“At the core of what we do is good production in tandem with good service,” she said. “We’ve invested in local companies who are close to the products on the ground and placed service support centres where we need them most, so Sinoboom can actively support the markets it enters.”
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Boasting one of the most complete MEWP line ups in the world and featuring in the top 10 for global MEWP sales, Sinoboom knows that it needs to provide a comprehensive post-sale service and support network. Supplying the market with self-propelled telescopic boom, articulating boom, scissors and spiders ranging from 4m to 58m in height, Sinoboom’s products are consistently spotted across an array of industries, such as rental, maritime, energy, mining sites, civil infrastructure, and non-residential construction.
In tandem with its comprehensive product line is Sinoboom’s commitment to intelligent manufacturing. Giving the keynote speech at the IPAF summit earlier in 2023, Susan broadly discussed artificial intelligence in the MEWP industry, stressing that it was “not the enemy” of production. At Sinoboom, its assembly line consists of welding and assembly robots and centres around intelligent design, production, and delivery, all in the name of enhancing productivity as well as boosting the safety of workers.
“Artificial Intelligence is a change that the world needs to embrace, because the change is coming,” said Susan. “It doesn’t mean people necessarily losing their jobs; it just means reallocating people to different areas of the business that are significantly less dangerous, thereby minimising the risk of workplace safety issues.”
Increasing market share across all industries and expanding its global reach is high on the agenda for Sinoboom, and Australia represents an integral piece of that plan. For Susan and the Sinoboom Australia team, it’s in the rental, construction and mining industries where they can see a real opportunity for growth in market share.
“The Australian market has become significantly more important to Sinoboom’s global strategy in recent years,” she said. “We’re paying more attention to what the Australian markets need as we see this as a mature market.”
Headed up by General Manager Mitch Ely who has years of experience in the domestic Australian market as well as experience within international MEWP markets, Sinoboom’s growth has doubled year on year since its subsidiary entered the Australian market in 2020. The global manufacturer now operates sales and support locations in Melbourne and Sydney and plans to open a facility in Brisbane later this year, underscoring the company’s belief in the Australian market and commitment to supplying high-end equipment to the country.
“The market is buoyed in Australia at the moment, and it does not look like dropping for the next few years,” said Susan. “We’ve got a plan in place for our global expansion, and Australia shapes as a significant part of that plan to be executed well.”
And so, with an overwhelmingly comprehensive product line, a commitment to intelligent manufacturing, and a resounding commitment to the Australian market, Sinoboom, according to Susan, is primed for success Down Under.
