Sarens Netherlands supplied the cranes used in the recently-completed salvage of the MSC Napoli. Source: Smit
Thirty mobile cranes and forty involved employees of Riwal will find their way to Sarens’ Dutch headquarters. The transaction value was not disclosed.
By selling its crane rental activities, Riwal has chosen access equipment as its core business. It has been renting out aerial work platforms for two decades now and became market leader in Holland within a few years. Since the 90s Riwal has also been internationally successful: first as a re-rental company and since 2001 with a rapidly growing number of Riwal subsidiaries and joint ventures in Europe and in the Middle East. With some 8,000 rental units Riwal claims to be in the European top three. As a completely independent private-owned company Riwal is also selling new and used aerial work platforms as well as parts, maintenance and operator training.
This year Riwal will invest €100 million in the renewal and expansion of its rental fleet, and invest significantly in automation and the establishment of new foreign rental operations. In 2007 a minimum of five new Riwal locations will be opened abroad.
Also, the head office in Dordrecht is being adapted to the expanding business. The purchase of an adjacent commercial property will accommodate the short term need of more workshop, office and storage space. However, Riwal will maintain its search for a suitable location to build a completely new head office in Dordrecht.
As a part of the international Sarens group, Sarens Netherlands is one of the most important specialists in supplying solutions in the field of horizontal and vertical heavy transport in the Netherlands. Beside its own fleet of 45 mobile aerial platforms up to 700 tons and 40 crawler cranes up to 250 tons, Sarens Netherlands frequently uses other equipment available within the Sarens group, ranging from hydraulic cranes, tower cranes up to 2,000 tons to platform trailers with a total of 650 axles.
The transfer of crane activities from Riwal to Sarens not only means the adoption of a young fleet of 30 cranes, but also gives Sarens a better distribution network with a head office in Dordrecht and locations in Amsterdam, Woerden (near Utrecht), Rotterdam and Eindhoven, and because of this, Sarens will be able to serve its customers even better.
“Acquiring the Riwal crane business fits into the ambition of Sarens to keep growing on the Dutch market,” said Sarens Netherlands director Martin Verzijl. “The expansion of our fleet makes it possible to enhance our actual service so we will be able to have a bigger package to serve our clients. The very short period in which the transaction with Riwal was completed shows the ambitions, strengths and dynamics of both organizations. We are sure that the oiled train we consider to Riwal operation to be, perfectly fits in our organization. The input of the skilful and experienced Riwal crane drivers is highly valued by Sarens.”
“We are glad to have found a new home for our people and cranes so close to ours,” said Jaap Schalekamp, director and co-owner Riwal. “The first issue we agreed upon was to give the interest of our employees the highest priority. Although the farewell to our cranes and employees will be emotional, business-wise it is the best decision. The result is a win-win situation for all parties concerned. Riwal can now fully concentrate on the aerial work platform business. We will invest even more because we still see a lot of opportunities to be successful with the Riwal formula in many countries and regions around the globe.”
Bigfoot 1 departs from Rotterdam, on its way to the MSC Napoli. Source: SMIT Bigfoot 1 The Bigfoot barge approaches the Napoli The Bigfoot barge approaches the Napoli Sarens Netherlands supplied the cranes used in the recently-completed salvage of the MSC Napoli. Source: Smit Onboard Bigfoot.
