Manitowoc Crane Group has opened a sales and service depot in Breda, Netherlands on the site of a former Mammoet depot.
The move represents a new push by Manitowoc as it seeks to grow market share in Europe, not only to compensate for a decline in demand in the USA, but to assert its credentials as a global player by demonstrating a commitment to the market.
The 25,000m2 Breda facility will sell and service Manitowoc and Grove branded cranes for the Dutch market.
Marking the importance of the facility to the group, several Manitowoc Crane Group top executives attended the official opening at customer open days on 20 and 21 June, including, from the USA president Glen Tellock, executive VP Marty Lakes, finance director Steve Cripe and Grove general manager John Wheeler, plus, from France, executive VP Jean-Yves Bouffault.
On show at the open days was a range of recently sold cranes, including a Manitowoc 555, sold to Aertssen of Belgium, its first Manitowoc model. Also sold to Aertssen was a Grove GMK 6220-L. Other Grove cranes on show that have either been delivered in the last 12 months or are about to be delivered were: a GMK 2035 (owned by Brezillion of France), a GMK 3050 (Van Genderen, Netherlands), a GMK 4075 (Mammoet, Netherlands), a GMK 5100 (Petersonn, Netherlands, a 5200 (Goud, Netherlands) and a 300t capacity GMK 6300 (Van de Weghe, Belgium).
Star attraction, however, was the new 600t Manitowoc 18000 that was shown at Intermat in May. No buyer has been announced for this yet.
There has been a breakthrough, however, with the sale of the first Grove GMK 7450 in Europe to Danish rental company Krangaarden, a subsidiary of BMS. Delivery is expected this month. The seven-axle GMK 7450, rated at 450t, is Grove’s biggest all terrain and was launched in 2002.
