Access platform manufacturers Skyjack and Grove Manlift are to form a strategic alliance to distribute each other’s products.
“Because of Skyjack’s strength in scissors products and Grove’s strength in boom products, this alliance is a totally complementary fit for both companies,” said Grove Worldwide chairman and CEO Jeff Bust. “We will have final negotiations complete by April but both companies are already working together.”
The deal was motivated by the need to offer a full product range to the major North American rental companies. But Grove also intends to market Skyjack’s scissor lifts through its European distribution network, and possibly globally.
Skyjack’s newly appointed CEO and president Jos Wintermans said: “This alliance will allow Skyjack and Grove to present a single point of contact for consolidation customers.”
Each company will retain its own identity and its own branding for the products that each manufactures, said Manlift marketing director Al Nicholas.
Later, Grove announced managerial changes at Manlift. Ernest Palango is now Manlift Vice President, Sales and Marketing for the North American distribution network. He will report to Joseph Danules, Manlift President.
Jeffrey Spidel is appointed Director, Manlift Product Development reporting to Lynn Dietrich, VP Product Development.
Keith Cider, Director, Service Operations, assumes responsibility for aerial work platform field service and administration for North, South and Latin America. He continues to report to Ted Bratthauar, Senior VP Customer Support.
Samuel Gardner, Director, Sales Administration, assumes all aerial work platform and crane sales administration responsibilities and reports to David Birkhauser, Senior VP Sales and Marketing for Grove Crane.
John Bittner, Director, Market Support is also given responsibility for aerial work platform advertising and publicity for North, South and Latin America, to add to the work he does for cranes. He will continue to report to David Birkhauser.
Bust commented: “This reorganization is part of Grove’s continuing and vigorous efforts to meet market requirements for our products. To match our current business needs with the new structure, approximately 30 executive, sales, engineering and administrative sales staff positions are being eliminated. The alignment of responsibilities in functional areas will allow us to better focus resources on product development and sales and marketing initiatives in support of our recently announced strategic alliance with Skyjack Inc. Collectively, these changes reinforce and strengthen our constant efforts to be aggressive and highly competitive in the global markets for both cranes and aerial work platforms.”
