Leitner-Poma has been manufacturing ski lifts since 2000. Now, the Colorado-based company has announced its new initiative for creating the next generation of surface lifts “designed, engineered, and manufactured in North America,” made specifically for North America’s ski resorts.
The plan is to introduce a new lineup of high-performance surface lifts to ski North American ski areas that balance “performance, simplicity, and long-term serviceability.”
With the 2025-26 ski season in North America officially complete, ski areas have turned their attention to lift installation and maintenance. New lift projects are taking place, and Leitner-Poma has found itself working with various resorts across the continent to provide the resorts with the lifts they want. Resorts like Aspen Highlands and Montana Snowbowl have already begun construction on new surface lifts this summer, with the hope that they are ready come wintertime. The demand for new surface lifts in North America is something Leitner-Poma hopes it can capitalize on.
By manufacturing surface lifts in North America, Leitner-Poma can reduce the impact that tariffs, supply chain issues, and unpredictable shipping costs have on resorts. Local manufacturing means more consistent prices that resorts can afford, especially at a time marked by increasing operating costs.
“Building closer to home allows us to streamline delivery timelines, reduce exposure to external pressures, and provide a more consistent path from order to installation,” Leitner-Poma wrote in its press release.
Unlike usual chairlifts, surface lifts pull skiers and snowboarders up the mountain without their feet ever leaving the snow. They include lifts like t-bars, magic carpets, tow ropes, and button lifts. Surface lifts are typically used for beginner slopes, terrain parks, or in high terrain. They are more cost-efficient than chairlifts, require minimal infrastructure, and are reliable in high winds (which makes them perfect for high-alpine terrain).
The new North American line of Leitner-Poma surface lifts is currently under development, with the hope that the lifts are “ready for deployment beginning in summer 2027.” After meeting with industry leaders and associates at the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) National Convention in May, Leitner-Poma believes it is ready to hit the ground running.
“The dialogue with operators, planners, and partners was exactly the fuel we needed heading into the next chapter,” Leitner-Poma wrote in an Instagram post following the convention.
Leitner and Poma were initially separate companies before joining forces in 2002. After Jean Pomagalski invented the detachable Pomalift surface tow in 1935, Poma began building lifts in North America in 1953. Leitner was founded in South Tyrol in 1888 by Gabriel Leitner, who built the world’s second reversible ropeway. By the early 2000s, both Leitner and Poma had constructed lifts at resorts across North America, with Poma building 205 lifts and Leitner building 21 before the merger. When the Seeber Group of Italy purchased Pomagalski, S.A. of France in 2000, the North American operations of the two companies were combined, and the companies began working together as Leitner-Poma in 2002. In 2009, Leitner-Poma moved its headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado.
Some of the world’s most notable lifts have been built by Leitner-Poma, including the Imperial Express at Breckenridge, the highest chairlift in North America.
While the weather may be heating up for the summer, companies like Leitner-Poma still have their eyes and minds on skiing as they look to help resorts across the continent prepare for the seasons to come.
