Voxpop: Kito Crosby reflects on 2024
As we bring 2024 to a close, we chat to LEEA members, Bastian Schönfeld, MD, eepos, Kito Crosby on their recovery efforts following the earthquake in North Japan on New Year's Eve, and Ashley Hall on winning Trainer of the Year at the LEEA Awards 2024, not forgetting Kito Crosby has partnered with the Ocean Cleanup to remove plastic waste from our oceans.
“This year has been one of the most exciting in our journey. We've worked hard to make eepos a leader in lightweight crane systems driven by innovation, trust and teamwork. 2024 marks a major milestone as we joined the Kito Crosby family. This step wasn't taken lightly, it reflects everything we believe in. Kito Crosby is a global leader with strong brands, a powerful network, and the values that align perfectly with ours,” said Schönfeld.
“Joining Kito Crosby feels like the right move at the right time. For our customers, this partnership means better service, more solutions and a global support. For our employees it's a chance to grow, learn and take in the exciting new opportunities. For me personally, this step is deeply meaningful. eepos is more than just a company. To me. It's a vision, it's a passion, it's a team effort. With Kito Crosby we can stay true to who we are, while achieving even more.”
A giant earthquake hit in Northern Japan on New Year's Day in 2024.
“The earthquake caused significant damage to the region. We at Kito Crosby Japan participated twice in the disaster relief, volunteering to support the local people, visiting damaged houses and helping to clean them up,” a spokesman said.
“We worked very hard with great teamwork, but we felt that the damage would still take a long time to recover, so we continue to support the affected areas as 2024 comes to an end.”
Ashley Hall took a full-time position as a trainer within Kito Cosby at the start of the year.
“Over the last 11 months, I've stood in front of over 500 people presenting the fundamentals of rigging seminars, and at the LEEA Awards in October of this year, it was a privilege to be awarded the LEEA Trainer of the Year Award in honour of Craig Morelli,” he said.
“Craig was a huge help to me in passing my LEEA Accredited Training Qualification a few years back, and as 2024 comes to a close with more people still to be trained, I look forward to an exciting 2025 and even more prospects for training in front of distributors and end users.”
Lisa Ehrborg, director EMEA, Marketing & Global External Communications, Kito Crosby says when she looks back at 2024, one of the achievements she is most proud of is joining Ocean Cleanup in the fight against plastic pollution.
“Sustainability is important in all we do. Kito Crosby alone has 100% Fossil Free manufacturing in over 50% of our sites in EMEA and we use recycled steel in products that are manufactured in Europe. However, we wanted to do more, and as part of our community engagement and corporate social responsibility, we instantly saw the Ocean Cleanup was the perfect match.
“As an official supplier to the Ocean Cleanup we're not just sending equipment and product necessary for their important work. We will also be sharing knowledge and training. We're thrilled to be a part of this partnership, bringing our decades of marine expertise to tackle ocean plastic pollution together. Stay tuned for an exciting 2025 where we make a difference to the world's oceans and rivers.”
Click HERE to watch the video on LEEA YouTube channel.
