BALYO SA last week announced that it has renewed its cooperation agreement with KION Group AG through May 8, 2027. BALYO makes mobile robots and autonomous lift trucks, and KION is the parent company of Linde Material Handling, which manufactures such equipment. The companies first partnered in 2017.
“We are delighted that the KION Group has decided to renew, as planned in the contract signed in 2017, the partnership agreement until May 2027,” stated Pascal Rialland, CEO of BALYO. “This long-term commitment illustrates the added value of BALYO solutions, especially for high-bay applications, as well as the technological and operational progress made in recent years.”
“This renewal also reflects the trust between the two companies' teams and allows both companies to pursue and initiate the operational projects essential to accelerate the conversion of the manual handling market to autonomy,” he said.
Founded in 2005, BALYO said it believes that pallet movement in manufacturing sites and distribution centers should be left to fully autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), freeing human workers for more enriching and creative jobs. The Arcueil, France-based company said its Driven by BALYO technology transforms standard forklifts into robots.
BALYO added that its geo guidance system enables robots to locate their position and navigate autonomously inside buildings without the need for any additional infrastructure. The company and its subsidiaries in Woburn, Mass., and Singapore serve clients in the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
BALYO has been listed on EURONEXT since 2017, and its sales revenue reached €21.8 million ($22.7 million U.S.) in 2021.
KION provides reach for warehouse robotics
To bring autonomous material handling to market, BALYO has entered into global partnerships with Hyster-Yale Group and KION, whose brands include Linde and Fenwick. They have developed robots for warehousing applications including tractors, palletizers, stackers, reach, and very narrow aisle (VNA) systems.
Frankfurt, Germany-based KION said its portfolio includes lift trucks, supply chain automation, integrated software, and services. The company's systems are designed to help optimize the flow of material and information within factories, warehouses, and distribution centers.
At the end of 2021, customers of various sizes and in numerous industries used more than 1.6 million of the KION Group’s industrial trucks and more than 8,000 of its installed systems worldwide. KION, whose U.S. subsidiary is in Summerville, S.C., currently has about 40,000 employees and generated revenue of around €10.3 billion ($10.7 billion) in 2021.
BALYO renews with both KION and Linde
BALYO and KION renewed their agreement, established in May 2017, for a period of four years, starting from May 2023, on the same terms as initially.
Late last year, BALYO and Linde Material Handling signed a contract for 2022 orders for the third year in a row. BALYO said the four-year extension of the partnership confirms Linde Material Handling's confidence in its technologies.
“This reflects the added value of BALYO solutions and the operational progress made over the past two years,” said Rialland at the time. “The logistics sector is currently undergoing a technological transformation and the demand from manufacturers for robotic solutions is growing rapidly.”
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