Poma

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Poma, officially Pomagalski S.A., is a French company that makes cable-driven lift systems. These include fixed and detachable chairlifts, gondola lifts, funiculars, aerial tramways, people movers, and surface lifts. Since 1936, Poma has installed about 7,800 lifts for around 750 customers worldwide. Its main competitor is Doppelmayr Garaventa Group (Austria/Switzerland). Leitner Ropeways was another rival, but since 2000 Poma joined with Leitner in a North American joint venture called Leitner-Poma. The two companies are independent otherwise and work together on raw materials.

Most Poma lifts are used at ski resorts in Europe, Asia, and North America, but they’re also found in amusement parks, scenic locations, and some industrial projects. In some places “Poma” is even used as a generic name for platter lifts, one of the company’s oldest products.

History and growth
- 1936: Jean Pomagalski (born 1905 in Kraków) installed his first ski lift on the Eclose Trail at l’Alpe d’Huez, France.
- 1947: Pomagalski S.A. was founded in Fontaine, France.
- 1955: The first Poma single-seat chairlift was built in Chamonix.
- 1958: The first two-seat chairlift followed in France and the United States.
- 1966–1967: Poma built its first detachable gondolas; the La Daille gondola (Val d’Isère) was a prototype.
- Headquarters and production remain in Fontaine, while management, design, sales, and service offices have been in Voreppe since 1988. About 750 people work for Poma worldwide.

Lifts and technology
- Fixed-grip chairlifts: The early and popular form, growing from 2-seat in 1958 to 3-seat in 1973, then to 4-seat and later 6-seat models.
- Terminals: Alpha introduced in 1982 (now mostly built for North America). Delta terminals were used earlier and can be upgraded to detachable later.
- Detachable chairlifts: Introduced in 1972 in Pralognan-la-Vanoise and Saint-Lary. In 1982, a detachable lift reached 5 m/s, the fastest in the world at the time. Omega (1991) was a smaller, more compact detachable terminal. The first six-passenger detachable chairlift came in 1993 (Le Tour, Avoriaz), followed by eight-passenger in 2000 (Méribel). The Satellite terminal replaced Omega in 2000. In North America, newer lifts use the LPA terminal. The Multix terminals appeared in 2005 (based on Leitner designs).
- Detachable gondolas: The company built its first detachable gondolas in 1966 (Val d’Isère and Queenstown). Automatic gondolas followed in 1967 (Chalmazel, Les Menuires). The six-passenger monocable gondola debuted in 1973, and the ten-passenger gondola in 1984. A 16-passenger gondola came in 1998 (Les Angles).
- Funitels: Poma has built three, including Funitel du Grand Fond (2001), Funitel du Bouquetin (2003), and Funitel de la Perdrix (2008). The latest Funitel at La Perdrix combines Leitner and Poma mechanics.

Other products
- Telemix: A detachable lift that runs both gondola cabins and chairs, common in Alpe d’Huez.
- Pomalift: A surface lift with a rotating disk that skiers straddle, known for high-speed departure and still sold today alongside T-Bars and fixed-grip platters.

Major projects and innovations
- Vanoise Express (2003): The world’s largest reversible ropeway, linking Les Arcs and La Plagne. It can carry about 200 people per cabin.
- Roosevelt Island Tramway (New York): Poma helped replace it in 2010 with a design inspired by the Vanoise Express.
- Otis collaboration: Poma teamed with Otis Elevator to develop Automated People Movers.
- Global reach: Poma operates overseas subsidiaries, including Leitner Poma Japan and Poma Beijing Ropeways.

Tatrapoma license
- In 1975, Poma licensed ropeway technology to TPMP Kežmarok (then Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia) to produce Tatrapoma lifts. The license ended in 1991, but the Tatralift name continued to be used.

Today
Poma remains a major player in the cable-lift industry, with a broad portfolio of chairlifts, gondolas, funiculars, trams, and moving walk systems for resorts, parks, and industrial sites around the world.