Having placed a $29m order with Liebherr in May for 61 all-terrain cranes over the next 18 months, Mediaco has put in an order for a further 50 mobile cranes from Terex PPM.

Mediaco is France’s biggest mobile crane hire company, which with about 400 telescopic cranes is four times bigger than any of its rivals.

The PPM order is for the 35t capacity, two-axle ATT 400 model. Ten of the current series will be delivered this year, and 20 of the new series 3 models will be delivered in each of 2001 and 2002.

The new series 3 models, which will be exhibited in prototype form at an open house at Terex PPM’s Montceau-les-Mines factory in France next month, features a new boom and chassis to get the gross vehicle weight down to less than 24t, or 12t per axle, to make it comply with European road regulations.

PPM is also showing a second evolution of its 50t-rated ATT 600 model in prototype form at the open house, which has also been redesigned to get axle weights down to 12t. Sales of PPM cranes have been hit hard in markets where 12t per axle limits are strictly observed.

Mediaco, 90% owned by Christian-Jacques Vernazza, also ordered seven cranes form Tadano Faun in May.