Terex first announced its plans to move self-erector production from Fontanafredda, Italy, to Montceau-Les-Mines, France, at this year’s Intermat.

Speaking at the Paris trade show, Terex Cranes president Kevin Bradley explained, "We can expand and grow at Montceau les Mines. The move also frees up capacity at Fontanafredda for Recom equipment.

"The market for self-erectors is coming back. We are reorganising sales and production, and entering a new class of higher capacity products. We aim to double production in three years."

Over the last year, Terex has been reorganising the leadership of its cranes segment. Frank Bardonaro, formerly of US rental giant AmQuip, came in to lead the mobile cranes business. On the tower cranes business, president of developing markets and strategic accounts Steve Filipov has been brought in to provide strategic direction, while Martina Moritsch leads global operations.

Filipov says, "Tower cranes are not huge as part of Terex Cranes. They are about 2% of the business currently; they were close to 10% of the business at the market peak.

"Our strategy with tower cranes now is to be more multinational. It was very Italy-centric. We’re now looking to diversify manufacturing. Across Terex, we’re breaking silos for different products, while maintaining our centres of excellence.

"The reason for moving to France is that the only markets that are growing for self-erectors are France and Germany. Montceau-Les-Mines is a big facility, and we want to use the space and people here.

"We have a good range of self erectors, from the [1t capacity, 16m jib] CBR16 through to the [6t, 45m] Eazy 90. So, the idea is to build market share by being closer to French customers."

As well as building up Terex’s share in the big self-erector markets of France and Germany, Filipov sees opportunities to develop new markets around the world. In Brazil, for example, where residential construction is booming and Terex’s self-erectors are well placed to compete with telehandlers.

Francois Truffier, general manager of Terex’s Montceau-Les-Mines and Zweibrucken plants showed Cranes Today around the French plant.

Montceau-Les-Mines was established in 1968 by PPM, originally a joint venture between excavator firm Poclain and tower crane manufacturer Potain (itself now part of rival US-owned cranebuilder anitowoc).
Legris, owners of Potain, bought out the business, and combined it with Italian rough terrain builder Bendini, in the late 1980s, before selling it to Terex in 1995.

Over 16ha, with 32,000 sq m under roof, the plant builds 40t and 60t all terrains, truck cranes up to 100t (using uppers from Zweibrücken’s AC100/4) and reach stackers.

The thread joining all these equipment types with self-erectors, Truffier says, is cost efficiency. The plant is designed to minimise material handling, keeping costs down. This, he says, is vital for small cranes. That approach, Terex hopes, will pay dividends as the company looks to build its self-erector market share and open up new markets for the products.

As well focussing on cost control, the French site has substantial research and development expertise. CAD systems pioneered here are now used at Zweibrücken in Germany, where Terex builds its big all terrains and crawlers.

The reachstacker line at Montceau-Les-Mines is run as its own unit, a business within a business, with production tracked within the unit. The same approach will be used for self erectors.

The aim with the new line, Truffier says, is to develop a "very tight, very efficient" line, but with room for expansion. Production will take place in a small 50m x 20m space, keeping component moves to three main stations. Lattice work components will be built by a sub-supplier, but all assembly will be completed at Montceau-Les-Mines. Jib sections will be assembled on one side of the line, with the mast and carrier being built on the other.

Preparation for the move only began with the Intermat announcement in April. The first cranes were on track to leave the line as this piece was being written, in July. As the line picks up speed and more models are moved from Italy, Terex will also build an efficient supply chain for sub suppliers. With a new home for self-erectors, the challenge then will be to build sales and open up new markets.