OVER 45 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
In the production of electric stair climbers and logistics solutions
Our Story
In 1977 Zonzini Orfeo, Zonzini Angelo Giorgio, Zonzini Alfonso Amedeo, and Zonzini Claudio founded Meccanica Zonzini in an area historically devoted to art furniture, the province of Verona, The purpose of the company was to build trolleys and devices for transporting furniture and interior accessories to the floor. In 1977 the first furniture transport carts were being built, mainly transpallet (manual and electric) and trolleys with wheels, but also specific carts, that served to offer the productions of that time, support in working differently, sometimes minimizing the physical component to gain productivity.
In 1980, in addition to the production of classic wheeled carts for transporting furniture and accessories within factories, the problem of floor delivery from the end customer began to arise. Thus, the first electric hoist called the “Falco 2000” was born, which was mounted on the balcony of the house and, through an electric motor, a flag extension, and steel cables, made it possible to lift furniture to be able to transport it directly to the floor, without having the problem of stairs to deal with.
1988 is a historic, important date in the history of Zonzini and all that followed. This was the year when the first electric stair climber for transporting furniture, appliances, and kitchen tops came into existence. It was the “Artiglio” model, so named because of the innovative, for that time, technology for climbing and descending stairs. It was a series of handholds (or claws, "artigli" in Italian, given the shape given to them) that hooked the top step and dragged the entire device and of course the load with it. It was the first form of electric stair climber ever seen, which subsequently inspired numerous other companies, from which they took their inspiration to come up with alternative products for the stairs.
In 1990, the Zonzini company unveiled the new Falco 2000 in aluminum alloy electric hoist, which, unlike its predecessor, had a significantly lower weight in order to make it easier for the operator to transport it to the floor. In addition, this model was equipped with a higher reach than its predecessor, thereby enabling the volume of transportable goods to be increased without interfering with the balconies below.
In 1993, Meccanica Zonzini created a manual trolley for lifting boilers and radiators in order to provide a solution to the plumbers and installers who had difficulty in installing wall boilers that needed to be lifted.
Zonzini Claudio, in 1997, decided to pursue his own path by concentrating on the design and production of stair climbers. The growing demand and the difficulties that installers and movers were dealing with shifted the focus to an issue that would become central to Zonzini's business from here on out, namely that of transportation on stairs. The first manual stair climber with TRACKS was born, the ZP250 model.
In 1999, many innovative ideas were put into practice, perhaps too many. 1999 was the year when the first electric stair climber trolley with a tilting base came into existence. It should be mentioned that this trolley worked really well. It effectively eliminated the strain on the stairs altogether, and the operator worked with his or her back in an upright and comfortable position throughout the transportation phase. Too bad it was not understood at the time; in fact, only a few hundred were produced. It was later discovered that this trolley's approach to climbing stairs was too far from what many customers expected at the time; in essence, they saw it as too different from what the market offered at the time, discriminating against it. And to think that it is precisely by taking inspiration from this trolley that, many years later, in 2014, the Domino model was born, which is currently successfully sold all over the world and of which enthusiastic feedback is being gathered in every corner of the globe. Sometimes, being too innovative does not pay off in the immediate term.
2003 saw the birth of one of the safest and most reliable hand trucks ever built, the Skipper model with an anti-tipping base. It was a unique stair climber and has been for many years to follow. It has become a great classic. For years, the Skipper tracked hand truck was considered the safest ever built because it used what would become known as Zonzini crawlers of unparalleled quality and reliability. Many companies have used it, and are still using it, to transport vending machines, boilers, marble slabs, and heavy materials of all kinds.
The success of the Skipper stair climber trolley, born in 2003, led the company to transform into a corporation, Zonzini S.r.l., which exists to this day.
In those years, Zonzini was rapidly gaining market share in the heavy-duty material handling industry, so it was necessary to diversify to gain market share in areas where the Zonzini brand was less known. Thus, the Buddy and Buddy Lift model electric stair climbers were introduced, which were suitable for transporting lighter and less demanding loads, such as household appliances for example. The Buddy Lift, in particular, was highly appreciated by the public because of its integrated electric lifting base, which allowed for an improved center of gravity when transporting on stairs. This type of technology is less advanced than crawler tracks and still relies heavily on the operator's ability to manage the balance of the load at each step, which is why they are only suitable for transporting lighter and less bulky loads than crawler trucks.
2014 is a very important year in Zonzini's history. In fact, this is the year when the first Domino model electric stair climber was born. In 1999, as we mentioned above, an electric stair climber with tracks had already been introduced, very similar to what would later become the Domino model; however, it did not receive market preference at the time, and it was hard to understand why, since from a functional point of view there were no significant objections from users. The decision whether or not to produce a product that was certainly more advanced and technologically advanced than the 1999 trolley was made directly by the company's ownership, which could not understand how such an effective product could only play a marginal role until then. The market response to the launch of the all-new Domino model trolley has been impressive, and a new era in the world of stair climbers has begun. The product's unique ease of use, reliability, and performance made possible, especially by the further improved Zonzini tracks, have made it the new benchmark in the industry of the transportation of heavy material on stairs. Each product indeed has its own era, and sometimes anticipating too many leads to hasty and sometimes wrong conclusions.
Zonzini's research department is always under pressure to constantly improve not only the reliability of the entire product range but also and especially the user experience. In 2015, Domino went through a major upgrade and became Domino Automatic. The new Zonzini red color scheme makes it distinctive and instantly recognizable. The Automatic function adjusts the loading platform independently, so for the first time in history, an operator can guide a load of up to 400 kg on the stairs just by using a joystick. Domino Automatic will probably prove to be one of the best electric stair climbers ever built.
The natural evolution of a stair climber with crawler tracks as easy to use and as safe as Domino Automatic was the adaptation to transport electronic and manual wheelchairs. This adaptation has enabled many people who normally move with heavy electronic wheelchairs to be able to be transported on stairs of various types without having an elevator or lift available.
In 2020, the well-known Skipper model underwent a heavy transformation that completely repositions it in the top end of the market. The technology used is the same as that of the Domino Automatic model, so with powerful traction motors and high-performance electronics. Skipper completes the range along with the Domino Automatic model and covers the segment of transporting high loads, from 2 meters and up, such as window frames, electrical panels, and fire cylinders.
The year 2021 is the year of a major change. Zonzini has developed custom electronics specifically to improve the performance of its products. These electronics have state-of-the-art features and are capable of delivering power that was previously unattainable.
Zonzini is a company with a strong innovative vocation, and it proves it by completely renewing its entire product range. All are equipped with the brand-new Plasmoid electronics created by Zonzini, and additional features have been introduced that were not present before, all aimed at improving safety, user experience, and product performance.
Zonzini's new connectivity function revolutionizes the stair-climbing industry by offering unprecedented control over the machines through direct owner access to its usage reports. The device registration ensures a continuous connection between the customer and the parent company, enabling any critical issues to be resolved quickly. Thanks to remote software updates and the connection that is already accessible via a 2G network, found almost anywhere in the world, you can monitor and manage your fleet in real-time, anywhere.
Domino Lift and Domino Lift Stabilized were created to solve the challenges of lifting the load up to 74 cm. This is considered a major transformation for Domino, which along with its new look, with a sturdier frame and more ergonomic handle, offers not only load lifting but also more operator assistance thanks to the new rear sensors equipped in the version with stabilization.
OUR MISSION
Making stair transportation a more convenient and safer activity through the creation of increasingly reliable, high-performance, and easy-to-use stair climbing systems.
We have always believed in the human value
We at Zonzini share a commitment to ensuring the highest level of integrity in the conduct of business. Integrity and ethics have always characterized the way we operate.
In order to protect human rights and promote fair working conditions, safety in the workplace, and responsible management of environmental and ethical issues, our Code of Ethics must be applied in the production, supply, and support activities of Zonzini products and services worldwide. Everyone who works for Zonzini should see their basic human rights respected and not suffer any form of physical or psychological suffering because of their work. We recommend that all our employees be free to peacefully and legally join associations of their choice and have the right to collective bargaining. Zonzini does not accept child labor. No employee should be discriminated against based on race, color, sex, sexual preference, marital status, pregnancy, maternity or paternity, religion, political opinion, nationality, ethnic or social origin, social status, disability, age, union membership, and so on. Every employee should know the basic terms and conditions of his or her employment.
We recommend that all employees with equal experience, performance, and competence receive equal compensation for the same work performed by others under similar working conditions. The highest priority must always be given to workers’ health and safety in the workplace.
Zonzini abides by all laws and rules applicable to its business and strives to promote fair competition, which is fundamental to business development and innovation. All Zonzini employees must compete in the free market as vigorously and constructively as possible, while still adhering to the laws of the countries in which the company operates.
We at Zonzini share a commitment to ensuring the highest level of integrity in the conduct of business. Integrity and ethics have always characterized the way we operate. Working with a strong sense of integrity is crucial to maintaining our credibility and the trust of our customers, partners, employees, shareholders, and other stakeholders. Creating an environment of transparency in the conduct of business is a top priority for all of us. The Code of Business Ethics represents our commitment to operate with candor and truthfulness in our reports and communications to the market. We expect that the company will be run according to the principles outlined in this Code and that everyone, from members of the board of directors and management team to each employee, will be expected to abide by them. Our Code contains rules regarding individual and group responsibilities, as well as responsibilities to employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, and other stakeholders.