24.05.2022

Uperio expands in France

International tower crane group Uperio has acquired French tower crane sales and rental business LaurentKeller in order to expand its coverage in eastern France.

Family owned LaurentKeller was established by Roland Laurent in 1984 and is based in Gerstheim – due south of Strasbourg in the Alsace, close to the German border. The company is the authorised Potain dealer for the region, offering its cranes for sale or rental while providing a full after sales service. Its tower crane rental fleet currently runs to around 45 units, with 12 employees and revenues in the region of €3.6 million.

The Uperio statement said: “LaurentKeller has a solid customer base and enjoys an excellent reputation in the region. The acquisition is in line with Uperio’s growth strategy, and the group expects it to strengthen its geographic footprint and competitive position in Eastern France with further development potential in the adjacent German region.”

Chief executive Philippe Cohet added: "LaurentKeller, with its excellent reputation and solid customer base, is a very promising addition to our group. At Uperio we are aiming high, we want to change our business profile and we are powered by people. The acquisition of LaurentKeller will help us to expand our professional and premium services offering to a larger territory. The logic of this acquisition is almost compelling, especially as it brings new customers, markets and colleagues to our teams in France.”

LaurentKeller’s president Olivier Laurent said: "we are very glad that our business is in good hands with Uperio. We can now be certain that the operation we have built over the years will continue in a meaningful and sustainable way."

The deal is expected to complete towards the end of this year, along with the integration of the LaurentKeller business into Uperio by the end of the year. The The Uperio name first appeared in 2019, following the merger of Belgian tower crane specialist Arcomet and French tower crane rental company Matebat. Today it runs a fleet of around 2,200 tower cranes with 600 employees.