Italian loader crane manufacturer Effer is planning to expand in China, Greece and the USA.
The company says that it will open a Chinese branch in Beijing by the end of 2002 as a base for penetrating southeast Asian markets. The Greek branch, Effer Hellas, moved to new premises in September 2001, giving it an additional 1,000m2 of covered space, including a full workshop and a warehouse for cranes and spare parts.
North America Lifting Equipment (NALE), Effer’s US subsidiary, has built a 1,500m2 warehouse which so far is used just for storage but will be used as a workshop too ‘in the near future’, Effer says. Seely Equipment & Supply, which is active in New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware, has been signed up by NALE as a dealer. Further dealer agreements are being negotiated.
As well as Greece and the USA, Effer has operations in Singapore, Denmark and South Africa. Exports account for 80% of sales, with 11% of sales coming in France.
Effer is also growing at home. In March 2000 it acquired aerial work platform manufacturer Bizzocchi. In September 2001 it established Hydrom Srl, as a new factory in Tarano. Effer expects Hydrom to become its most important production site in the group over the next few years. It will be dedicated to the manufacturer of what it calls ‘land cranes’ (as opposed to truck cranes and marine cranes) and to aerial work platforms.
Another Effer company, Oleodinamica Monti, produces hydraulic cylinders.
Effer saw its turnover rise from E42.25m in 1999 to E59.48m in 2000. It expects 2001 turnover to be E72.35m, a 22% increase.
Effer’s market strength lies in larger loader cranes. Cranes with a capacity of more than 30t account for 50% of Effer’s production, while 10t to 30t cranes account for 30% of production. Another growth target is to address the small cranes market (less than 10t) more aggressively and so increase total production from 2,000 units a year to 3,000 units by 2004.