28.05.2026

Faresin teams up with Bergerat

Italian telehandler manufacturer Faresin has signed a “strategic partnership” distribution agreement with French Caterpillar distributor Bergerat Monnoyeur to boost sales in France. It includes all models for construction, industrial and agricultural market sectors.

The move follows the decision by Caterpillar to pull out of the European telehandler market at the end of 2024. Last year it agreed to supply German Cat distributor Zeppelin with Zeppelin branded telehandlers, and only last month it signed up Turkish Cat distributor, Borusan Cat.

Bergerat says that in order to ensure the success of the new agreement, it is putting in place a dedicated organisation to support Faresin across its sales and service network throughout France.

Based in St Denis on the north side of Paris, Bergerat Monnoyeur France employs around 1,500 people across 39 workshops, six regional offices two new machine PDI/assembly centres, two refurb & rebuild operations, a dedicated parts warehouse and 75 mobile service vans.

The chief executive of Bergerat Monnoyeur France Benoît Poussou said: “Through this partnership, Bergerat Monnoyeur intends to enhance the synergies between Faresin’s technological and innovative expertise and our distribution network in order to strengthen our leadership.”
“The goal is to offer customers a complete offering that combines the product, technical support, connected services, and local presence.”

Silvia Faresin added: “For Faresin, this collaboration represents an important opportunity to strengthen our presence in the key market of France. The service quality of the Bergerat Monnoyeur network will allow us to be even closer to our customers, to offer our innovative products and technology, while ensuring a high level of service and support..”

A bit of history

Bergerat Monnoyeur was established by Henry Bergerat and his cousin, Francis Monnoyeur, in 1906 to import and distribute construction equipment and built the business to the point where, in 1929, it gained the exclusive distribution rights for Caterpillar Tractor in France. In 1981, it added the rights for Algeria, followed by Romania and Poland in the 1990s and more recently Belgium and Luxembourg. It is part of the Monnoyeur group, which also owns French forklift and industrial equipment rental company Aprolis, and a number of specialist services companies, such as Sitech and IPSO with global reach.

And a small aside

We could not help but point out that Haulotte ‘founder’ Pierre Saubot began his career with Bergerat Monnoyeur in 1968, joining shortly after it had opened a new lifting department. When a vacancy in the new business came along, he jumped at it and helped set up the crane sales business - was it Sem Levage?- with the distribution rights for P&H cranes. It was highly successful throughout the 1970s and into the early 1980s. Leaving in 1985 when an opportunity reared its head to set up on his own and acquire the failed Creusot Loire/Pinguelly crane business. That led to the establishment of Haulotte as we know it – but that is another story.

Vertikal Comment

Faresin has been canny in courting Caterpillar distributors, and highly successful in winning over two of the American manufacturer's largest and most prestigious distributors. While Cat dealers were not always the most successful in the telehandler market, they will certainly do well for a smaller manufacturer such as Faresin.

The success will depend on how much sales and marketing effort Faresin puts into making sure they do a good job.
As to the Cat dealers – they get a good product, with leadership in the future orientated all electric market.

Looks like a win-win deal, at least potentially.