Poma
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revert tester [[special:contributions/83.45.185.144|83.45.185.144]] ([[user talk:83.45.185.144|talk]]) to last version by Mangostar
:''For the village, see [[Poma, Bangladesh]].''
[[Image:Poma logo.gif|right]]
'''Poma''' or '''Pomagalski SA''' is an international corporation, headquartered in [[France]], which builds passenger conveyances using cable systems, including fixed and [[detachable chairlift|detachable]] aerial [[chairlift]]s, [[gondola]]s, [[funicular]]s, [[aerial tram|aerial tramways]] and [[surface lifts]]. Poma has installed more than six thousand systems in fifty-four countries which transport eight million passengers each hour.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.poma.net/
| title = Poma group website
| accessdate = 2006-09-17
}} </ref>
While the term '''Poma lift''' technically refers to any Poma installation, it is mostly commonly used as a nostalgic term for a [[platter lift]] or [[T-bar]], as it was the company's first and most popular system.
The majority of Poma systems are in [[ski area]]s, but can also be found at [[amusement park]]s and in scenic locations as skyrides and [[peoplemover]]s.
It mainly operates in [[Europe]] and [[China]].
== History ==
The founder, Jean Pomagalski, of Polish descendants, began building ski lifts in 1935. The first systems used detachable technology in a surface lift.
In 1953, Pomalift Inc. established itself in the U.S. In 1958, they built their first chairlift in the U.S., followed in 1960 with chairlifts at [[Squaw Valley]] for the [[Winter Olympics]]. In 1981 they established manufacturing capability in [[Grand Junction, Colorado|Grand Junction]], [[Colorado]] at their [[North America]]n headquarters.
They build the first detachable quad chairlift in 1981, installed at [[Sept Laux, France]] (in the [[Dauphiné Alps]]).
In 1984, Poma installed the world's highest gondola lift towers at 358 ft (109 m) for the [[Mississippi Aerial River Transit]] across the [[Mississippi River]], in [[New Orleans, Louisiana]].
== Industry ==
Poma is one of only a few remaining lift manufacturers in North America. With the recent demise of [[Riblet]] and [[Lift Engineering]] (popularly known as ''Yan''), their only major competitor is [[Doppelmayr CTEC]]. Poma's market share has recently been decreasing. Poma currently holds about 40% of this market, while Doppelmayr holds the other 60%.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.skilifts.org/install_na2006.htm
| title = Ski Area Management Magazine 2006 Lift Construction Survey
| accessdate = 2007-04-19
}} </ref>
Poma merged with Leitner in 2002 to form Leitner-Poma of America.
== Well-known lifts ==
Some famous Poma lifts include the [[Silver Queen Gondola]] in [[Aspen, Colorado]], the [[Mount Roberts Tramway]] in [[Juneau City and Borough, Alaska|Juneau]], [[Alaska]], The Village Gondola in [[Whistler-Blackcomb]] in [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]] and the third generation [[Magic Mile]] at [[Timberline Lodge ski area]] on [[Mount Hood]], [[Oregon]].
== See also ==
* [[Ski lift]]s
* [[List of aerial lift manufacturers]]
* [[Telemix]], a type of hybrid lift developed by Poma
* [[Maokong Gondola]]
== References ==
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== External links ==
* [http://www.poma.net/ Poma website]
* [http://www.leitner-poma.com/ Leitner-Poma of America website]
{{US-company-stub}}
[[fr:Poma]]