Terex has used its acquisition of telehandler manufacturer Matbro to set up Terex Lifting UK.

Matbro, which is based in Gloucestershire, was formerly a subsidiary of Powerscreen, which Terex took over last year.

The new UK operation will mainly be occupied with supporting the sales and service of aerial work platforms. It will also assemble or modify the Italmacchine telehandlers that Terex produces in Italy, to launch the machines into the UK agricultural market.

Terex Lifting vice president Steve Filipov, in charge of sales and marketing in Europe, said that he also had ambitions to promote self-erecting tower cranes into the UK from the new base. To date, the UK has proved resistant to the concept of self-erecting towers. Housebuilder McCarthy & Stone is one of the few companies in the UK to use them regularly. Vanson Cranes has also sold a few over the years.

“I don’t know how it will go but I want to give it a try,” said Filipov of his plans for self-erectors in the UK. “I like a challenge.” Sales and service of mobile cranes will remain with European Cranes, which also distributes the cranes of Terex’s latest acquisition, Franna of Australia. Terex bought Franna in December. Manitowoc Europe will also keep the role that it has in servicing Terex PPM mobile cranes in the UK.

Terex Lifting UK is headed by Bob Halls, who joined Terex when it acquired Simon and has earned a reputation as a restructuring specialist. He has returned to his native UK after working on the recent closure of Terex’s scissor lift manufacturing plant in Milwaukee.

Explaining the importance of his division, Halls said that major players in the UK access hire market had not been buying Terex product because until now it lacked a product support infrastructure. He is looking to double 1999 sales volume this year.

Halls said that Terex Lifting president Fil Filipov believes the UK business can grow tenfold, from $10m to $100m.

Meanwhile, Filipov is predicting zero or negative growth in US sales this year. Last month 20% of employees at the Conway SC factory were laid off.

(More from Terex, see feature on p23)