Manitou has formally opened the 7,500 square metre expansion of its facility in, Madison, South Dakota. The opening coincides with the 50th anniversary of manufacturing skid loaders – originally as Gehl. The ceremonial ribbon was cut by Manitou chairman Jacqueline Himsworth.
Jacqueline Himsworth cuts the ribbon along with (L-R) plant manager Jeff Minnaert, group CEO Michel Denis and Manitou America MD Franck Buisard
The development, part of an million investment in its North American production facilities, also included the renovation of the existing 30,000 square metre building. The expansion includes a larger assembly line that enables all assembly processes to occur within the same building for greater efficiency . The number of workstations has also increased by 30 percent from 14 to 19. They incorporate kitting and other lean concepts to cut production time and improve employee efficiency. A new shipping centre has been created by repurposing one of the former assembly buildings, allowing the facility to handle the increased production.
Michel Denis marks 50 years of skid steer load production at the plant
Franck Buisard, managing director of Manitou America and vice president of the compact and articulated loader division said: “We announced a massive investment in our South Dakota facilities 18 months ago. Now we’ve completed the expansion plan of our Madison facility, and we will be able to start production utilising our new assembly line for our new skid and track loader range presented at Conexpo in March. It was a clear challenge for the team to be ready on time and I'm proud of all the work they accomplished. We will now work on increasing the output of our production lines by more than 150 percent by 2026. Our next step will be the go-live of our Yankton, South Dakota facility expansion in mid-2024.”
Franck Buisard
Madison plant manager Jeff Minnaert added: "It is a very exciting time for Manitou as we celebrate the official opening of our new assembly building. While this is not the end of the project, it is the largest portion that will give us the biggest impact on increasing our production to meet our future demands. In addition to the building, we are implementing a number of improvements that will continue to enhance our work environment and help Manitou be the employer of choice in Madison.”
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