22.10.2005

Ero holding sell Stirnimann

Stirnimann AG the Grove, Potain and JLG distributor for Switzerland has been purchased by entrepreneurial investor Burkhard Lichtner.

Stirnimann has been owned for many years by Ero Holding a local steel stockholder and property company built up by Fritz Theil, who died a few years ago. Theil had purchased the company from the Stirnimann family who had founded the business as a tower crane and construction equipment producer in 1915. Elsa Theil continued to oversee the group until her death earlier this year.

Stirnimann, which is headed by Alfred Wyss, has been the Grove distributor since 1968, obtaining the Potain franchise soon after. When Grove sold its Manlift business last year Stirnimann took over the JLG dealership. Other access products in the Stirnimann access range include Teupen and Pagliero.

In addition to its sales activity, Stirnimann operates one of the largest Tower crane rental fleets in Switzerland (No 5 in Kran&Buhne Germany/Austria/Switzerland top 20) and has an access rental fleet in excess of 200 aerial work platforms.