Riblet
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The Riblet Tramway Company was once one of the largest manufacturers of aerial lifts based in North America. They built numerous lifts, particularly in Washington, Oregon and California, though as far away as Australia and South America. The company only built fixed-grip lifts and because of the currently limited market for such lifts, announced in early 2003 that the firm was no longer viable and was going out of buisiness.
Riblet lifts are known for their smooth ride -- the chair grip is woven into the haul rope, rather then being hooked onto it.
Riblet was founded by Byron Christian Riblet. Arriving in Spokane in 1885, his first work was laying out streetcar lines. In 1896, Riblet began building aerial lifts in Nelson, British Columbia, to assist in moving ore from mines to the town. Appearently Riblet wasn't told that he was to build an aerial tram -- he thought he was coming to build a streetcar line! Even so, Riblet decided he was going to build aerial tramways on the spot, and started building.
Riblet returned to Spokane in 1908, after working in the Kootenays, to found the Riblet Tramway Company.
Riblet built its first chairlift in 1933, as skiing was gaining popularity, and soon ski lifts became a major part of the Riblet Tramway Company's buisiness.
The company built over 400 chairlifts before it closed.