A journey through the history of the creation and development of Sunkid and its Moving Carpet

Sunkid and the Moving Carpet celebrate 25th anniversary

With its Moving Carpet conveyor belt, the Sunkid company has become the world market leader for conveyor belts in the tourist environment. Both celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2021.

During this time, the Moving Carpet has not only revolutionized ski schooling, but is now indispensable as a beginner's lift, feeder lift, connecting lift and in many other areas of use at ski resorts and leisure destinations around the world. In our 6-part series, we would like to take you on a short journey through the history of Sunkid and its Moving Carpet, giving you an insight into the development, technology and milestones from 25 years.

The Moving Carpet, the original since 1996!

MILESTONES

1996
Foundation
Sunrise

Sunkid develops the first modern Person Conveyor Belt, which is placed directly in the snow without any foundations and transports people on a special plastic link chain.

1999
Merger
Companies are merged

Due to the rapidly growing market, Max Bruckschlögl and Dieter Zimmermann decide to merge the companies.

1999
Innovation
Let there be light

Sunkid is the first manufacturer to develop a light barrier for automatic hazard detection and automatic shutdown during conveyor belt infeed.

2000
Foundation
Subsidiaries

Founding of the subsidiaries Star Lifts in the USA and Borer Lift AG in Switzerland.

2001
Innovation
Blue Eye

Sunkid develops the revolutionary endless conveyor belt surface "Blue Eye", for optimum grip even in challenging conditions, start of production using purpose-built machines in Bad Goisern Bruckschlögl.

2002
Innovation
Roof over the head

Sunkid is the first manufacturer to develop a canopy for conveyor belts, the Sunkid Gallery. This pleases not only the passengers in bad weather, but also the operators.

2003
Innovation
Extra wide

Sunkid develops the first conveyor belt with a width of 1,200 mm. Transports not only more but also with added value.

2004
Innovation
Now it gets technical

Sunkid is the first manufacturer to supply a radio remote control, automatic access control and fault diagnosis system for conveyor belts.

2005
Innovation
Get out and cover

Sunkid develops and patents the new exit philosophy the Radius side exit. Sunkid is the first manufacturer to think about the summer storage of conveyor belts and develops the Type G summer cover.

2006
Innovation
Mobile

Sunkid is the first manufacturer to implement a system to enable communication and control between the plant and the operator via SMS.

2007
Record
I believe I can fly

Sunkid is the first manufacturer to erect a 132 m conveyor belt 8 m above the ground on its own support system.

2008
Record
High Speed XXL

Sunkid builds the longest passenger conveyor belt in the world with a length of more than 400 meters. In order to reduce travel time, Sunkid developed in parallel the "top speed" for speeds of up to 1.2m/s.

2009
Acquisition
Sunkid Heege & Sunkid France

Acquisition of the company Sunkid Heege GmbH and thus entry into the theme park market. Foundation of the subsidiary Sunkid France SARL in France.

2009
Innovation
Super Slide

Sunkid is the first manufacturer to develop a replaceable PE plastic wear layer, designed especially for summer use of the Moving Carpet: Sunkid Super Slide.

2010
Cooperation
Almholz

Sunkid and Almholz enter into a cooperation and from now on act as a joint partner in the support of customers in winter and summer tourism destinations.

2010
Innovation
Top Model

Sunkid is the first manufacturer to install gallery canopies in a wide variety of designs (wood, colored polycarbonate, double galleries, foil prints, fiberglass, etc.) - there are no limits to creativity ...

2011
Innovation
A new roof

Sunkid continues to develop the conveyor belt canopy and presents a new revolutionary canopy system EVOLUS

2012
Innovation
Tree house

Sunkid builds the world's longest gallery made of wood Type VARIOS with 195 m length.

2012
Innovation
Conveyor belts for future

Sunkid builds the world's first conveyor belt with a roof including photovoltaic modules

2013
Handover
Young generation

Max Bruckschlögl handed over his company to Herbert Zopf and Emanuel Wohlfarter (who have been with the company since 1997) in the form of a management buy-outs and since then the two have managed the group of companies in equal shares.

2013
Innovation
Ship Ahoy

The first boat conveyor with a width of 2,000 mm is built for the "Vienna Water Sports Arena".

2014
Innovation
Snow Dome

Installation of conveyor belts for snow domes in Dubai and the UK with special automatic de-icing and snow cleaning function.

2015
Anniversary
Sunkid Heege

There were two reasons to celebrate at Sunkid Heege in 2015. Not only was Heege's 40th anniversary to be celebrated, but also the relocation and opening of Sunkid Heege GmbH at a new address in Bassenheim near Koblenz.

2017
Innovation
I want to hold your hand

Sunkid develops and installs for the first time a conveyor belt with motorized handrail.

2018
Acquisition
Braso Technology Ltd.

Purchase of the summer toboggan run division of the Brandauer company - Foundation of the subsidiary Braso Technik GmbH

2018
Innovation
Fairy Tale Express

Sunkid develops together with the ski dimension Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis the First fully themed conveyor belt. (Fairy Tale Express Kinderland Fiss)

2019
Opening
Competence Center

Opening of the new competence center for innovation, design and development in Bad Goisern.

2019
Top
Copenhagen project

In 2019, probably the most unusual ski slope (CopenHill) in the world was opened in Denmark. The result: 500 meters of ski slope and three Sunkid Moving Carpet on the roof of a waste incineration plant.

2020
Top
Cobra Connyland

Sunkid is developing a new train called "Cobra" for Connyland in Lipperswil, Switzerland, in summer 2020. Numerous technical, but also comfortable improvements will make visitors' eyes light up.

2021
Project
Les Angles

In the midst of the French Pyrenees, one of the longest and most action-packed mountain coaster tracks was built and installed in 2021. On the approx. 2 kilometer long descent, an average gradient of 23% is traversed. Elements such as jumps, waves and speed turns make the whole track an adrenaline rush.

2021
Innovation
Big, bigger, biggest

Sunkid develops and installs the world's largest loading conveyor for the world's largest Ferris wheel: Ain Dubai

2021
Innovation
25 years of Moving Carpet. Sunkid develops...

the Moving Carpet in close coordination with its customers on an ongoing basis. In 2021, the next generation of conveyor belts will also feature many large and small innovations and improvements!