Manitowoc Cranes Archives | Page 6 of 6

German Klema acquires 5 grove all terrain cranes

German heavy lifting and haulage company Klema has added five Grove All Terrain cranes to its fleet.

The orders, placed last year, consists of an 80 tonne GMK4080-1, two 100 tonne GMK4100Ls, a 100 tonne GMK5095 and one of the company’s latest 400 tonne GMK6400. Grove said the order for the GMK4080-1 was its most memorable purchase to date due to the fact it was agreed and signed for at a dinner meeting using a beer mat.

Klema chief executive Wolfgang Klenner said: “During a recent dinner meeting it became clear that the GMK4080-1 would be ideal for our expanding fleet – so we decided on it right there and then. We have found the perfect partner in Manitowoc that allows us to be flexible and do real business with friends. The company reacts to our suggestions and consistently meets our requirements, giving our business the flexibility to grow.”

Klaus Kroeppel, Manitowoc vice president sales central and eastern Europe, added:

“This transaction may have taken place on a beer mat, but it symbolises the mutual trust we share with our customers.”

Established in 1965, Klema started its business with a six tonne truck crane. It has gradually expanded its offering and currently has a fleet of cranes ranging from 30 to 500 tonnes. The company also provides its services in access rental, heavy transportation, industrial assembly and planning services.

Manitowoc cranes laid off employees at grove plant

Manitowoc Cranes has laid off 250 employees at its Shady Grove plant – 235 hourly paid and 25 salaried. No recall date has been set, suggesting that they are likely to be permanent headcount reductions.

The company says that the cuts are due to softer demand for the products built at the Grove plant, which includes National Crane boom trucks, Grove Rough Terrain cranes, North American truck cranes and industrial carry deck cranes.

Two all terrain cranes delivered by Grove

Germany’s biggest crane operator, the Schmidbauer Group, has added two Grove all-terrain cranes to its fleet.

The company took delivery of a 300 tonne capacity GMK6300L and 100 tonne capacity GMK4100L. The company says it chose Grove because of their impressive capacity with exceptional reach and have weight-saving features that comply with Germany’s strict road laws.

“Grove not only makes strong cranes with very long booms but they innovate to save weight, making their cranes easier to transport all over Germany,” said Werner Schmidbauer, chief executive of Schmidbauer. “Our two new cranes feature aluminium wheels, which mean we can travel to job sites with more equipment and counterweight, saving time and hassle. They will make a great addition to our fleet.”

Dieter Popp, regional sales manager at Manitowoc, added: “Road laws are getting stricter in Germany, so our customers want lighter cranes that don’t compromise capacity. Our weight-saving wheels give our Grove cranes a distinct advantage in the market.”

The GMK4100L which features a 60 metre main boom is based in Schmidbauer’s Deggendorf branch in south-east Germany, while the GMK6300L is based at the company’s headquarters in Unterschleissheim, near Munich.

Founded in 1932, the Schmidbauer Group operates a fleet of 250 mobile cranes, which offer capacities of up to 1,250 tonnes. The company operates from 20 sites across Germany and employs 600 people.

Grove GMK6400 all terrain crane delivered

German heavy lifting and haulage company MSG Krandienst has taken delivery of the first 400 tonne Grove GMK6400 All Terrain crane in Germany.

The GMK6400 features a single superstructure mounted engine with ‘MegaDrive’ hydrostatic drive train, 60 metre main boom and self-rigging Mega Wing Lift attachment. The unit joins MSG’s fleet of 35 cranes and will be used for heavy lifts at shipyards, refineries and power plants as well as wind farm maintenance and construction. Manitowoc claims it is the strongest six-axle crane on the market.

Andreas Werner of Grove’s dealer KranAgentur Werner, said: “We want to give customers the world’s most advanced equipment that enables them to complete a huge variety of jobs quickly and effectively. Grove’s GMK6400 is the next step in six-axle crane technology. MSG’s new crane has proved itself at several projects already, and there is a long list of jobs lined up for it in the future.”

Founded in 1993 MSG Krandienst operates from branches in Kehl, Kappel-Grafenhausenm and Teningen with a fleet of cranes topped by a recently purchased 750 tonne Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1.

Manitowoc sells share in Chinese joint venture

Manitowoc has completed the sale of its 50 percent interest in its Chinese joint venture Manitowoc Dong Yue Heavy Machinery Company, to its partner, Tai’an Taishan Heavy Industry Investment.

The joint venture was created in March 2008 for the production of mobile and truck-mounted hydraulic cranes – see: Manitowoc buys into China. A number of new models were launched in late 2008 and the most recent being in 2012 – see: Two new cranes from Manitowoc Dongyue.

The sale is expected to result in non-cash losses with an impact in the region of $36 million in the year ended December 2013.

Chief executive Glenn Tellock said: “The sale of our joint venture interest is consistent with our strategy to better align resources across Manitowoc’s crane segment and to maximize financial performance. Looking ahead, we remain committed to the Chinese market which remains a vital element of our global footprint. Our plans for this key geographic market include an ongoing commitment to our wholly owned Potain tower crane operation at our manufacturing facility in Zhangjiagang, which supplies best in class products to China, the Greater Asia/Pacific region, Latin American and the Middle East markets.”

In September Shantui pulled out of an agreed mobile crane joint venture with Manitowoc, citing China’s economic restructuring and the sharp decline in the construction machinery market, which adversely impacted its business – see: Shatui quits planned JV.

The Chinese market for mobile/truck cranes has been a nightmare for foreign companies, as Manitowoc’s experience has shown. Terex also struggled with its joint venture – Sichuan Changjiang Engineering Crane Company – in which it took a 50 percent stake in 2006. It was able to dilute its holding substantially in 2012 – effectively exiting the business.

Chinese regulations still restrict foreign companies from owning more than 50 percent of a truck mounted crane manufacturer which prevents outright control of the business, and 50/50 partnerships between American and Chinese crane companies clearly do not work. On the other hand there are a number of successful examples in the tower crane and crawler crane market where such ownership limitations do not apply.

Manitowoc 31000 performs heaviest lift yet

Manitowoc’s largest ever crane has completed its largest ever lift, hauling a 650-tonne cold box.

The Manitowoc 31000, a 2,300-tonne (2,535-ton) capacity crawler crane, performed the pick-and-carry lift at a liquefied natural gas plant in Gwangyang, South Korea.

The Manitowoc 31000 lifted the 55 m tall cold box, which measures 9 m by 9 m, off a flatbed trailer in tandem with a 600-tonne capacity Manitowoc 18000. Once airborne and upright, the 31000 took over and carried the load to its final location. The entire operation took less than two hours.

The recent took place in September at the Posco E&C plant where the crane, which is the first 31000 in the field, has been working since March.

Even heavier lifts are in the pipeline, with a 900-tonne lift scheduled for this month and two 1,000-tonne lifts slated for December and February.

The 31000’s design means it can be disassembled, moved and re-assembled in just four weeks. As a result, it has a busy schedule.

Crane rental firm Chunjo Construction of South Korea owns both the Manitowoc 31000 and the 18000.