28.04.2014

Manitou restructures

Manitou is to merge its Industrial division with the Rough Terrain handling division to create the Material Handling and Access product division.

The division will focus on the Manitou brand and manage all of the company’s French and Italian production sites, manufacturing telehandlers, rough-terrain and industrial forklifts, truck-mounted forklifts and aerial work platforms.

The Compact Equipment product division will be responsible for marketing and production of skidsteer loaders, track loaders, articulated loaders and telehandlers branded Gehl and Mustang. As such it will largely be US based.

Finally a new division, the Services & Solutions, service division will cover all service activities to support sales, including financing, warranty, maintenance contracts, service, replacement parts, technical training and services to end users such as geo-location application advice etc…

The three divisions will design and assemble products and services which are distributed by the sales and marketing organisation to dealers and key accounts. The implementation of the new will begin in July and is expected to take 10 months to complete.

Chief executive Michel Denis said: "This strategy will firmly focus on the value provided to our customers, while strengthening our leadership, growth and profitability. The new organisation will offer a positive operating impact while benefiting our customers with a less complex as well as a more responsive organization."

The previous chief executive Dominique Bamas has also re-joined the Manitou board as a non-executive director, replacing Joël Goulet who has resigned.
Please register to see all images

Dominique Bamas

Chairman Marcel Braud said: "Dominique Bamas has re-joined the board, reinforced by an experience and knowledge of the group. The board members have unanimously expressed their gratitude to Joël Goulet who resigns after 20 years of collaboration with Manitou, being successively chief executive and afterwards independent director and after having supported the establishment of the new ambitions of Manitou."

The Manitou board will maintain its configuration with six family directors and three independent directors.