Our visit to CONEXPO 2023 in Las Vegas!

Last month we went to Las Vegas to visit CONEXPO: the most important fair for the construction industry in North America. From the 14^th until the 18^th of March, no less than 2400 exhibitors from 36 countries gathered there to present innovations and developments in construction to the public. The fair was attended by 140 thousand visitors this year.

Reunion with Cratos Equipment

Whereas we participated in the BAUMA fair in Munich as exhibitors, we attended CONEXPO as interested visitors. Mainly to visit the stand of Cratos Equipment: our long-term partner for the American demolition and rental industries and frontrunner when it comes down to easing heavy work in an emission-free manner. Because with the electric SHERPA 100 ECO and 2SPEED, Cratos was practically the first to introduce emission-free yet powerful construction machines to the American market.

As expected, we had a great reunion with Cratos’ enthusiastic sales team. They informed us about the continued interest in the (improved) SHERPA 100 ECO and 2SPEED and the trend of compact, electric and emission-free construction machines that has now spread more widely in America as well. Thanks to their extended product portfolio, impressive network and unrelenting efforts, Cratos remains at the forefront of the demolition industry. A prime example is their wide range of SHERPA’s with both lead acid and lithium batteries.

Innovations in the construction industry

Besides visiting Cratos’ stand, we naturally wanted to get some inspiration of the latest innovations in the construction industry at CONEXPO. The fair also provided us an excellent opportunity to find out if there is any support on the American market for our new, electric articulated loaders: the SHERPA S10 (2023) and SHERPA F10 (2024). 

We will start production of the SHERPA S10 in the near future. This new model features 4 electric motors, a lithium battery of 18 or 27 kWH and is only 76 centimetres wide; making it the most compact articulated loader in our range! The machine is particularly low-maintenance and powerful, with a battery that lasts a full working day. Ideal for small indoor spaces and therefore very suitable for the construction and demolition industries. 

Our visit to CONEXPO pointed out clearly that there is a growing demand for this type of compact electric machines in the United States too.

Meeting up with new partners

Finally, the fair offered the opportunity for us to meet new(ish) partners, such as ELEO. ELEO is our Dutch partner for the best quality, safest and most compact lithium battery packs out there. A young, dynamic company that supports our rapid electrification of the new SHERPA Z- and S-series. And given their rapid expansion and recent partnership with Yanmar, ELEO seems to see potential in the North-American market too. 

Ever since we started developing the SHERPA S10 and F10, we have been working with ELEO on powerful and safe solutions for our new generation machines. ELEO’s presence in the United States therefore offers future prospects for excellent availability and service of our machines there. 

Brief summary of the fair

Our visit to CONEXPO 2023 confirmed that trends we are seeing in Europe are also spreading to North America. This reinforces our belief that SHERPA is moving in the right direction. To not only improve our current construction and demolition machines, but also to extend our range of compact and emission-free machines and make them more widely available. That way we will meet both ‘old’ and new market demands.

With all the knowledge and ideas we have in the pipeline in Nistelrode, this confirmation boosts our confidence regarding opportunities and possibilities on the American market the coming years!