02.07.2026

Midolini acquires Scaligera

Italy’s Midolini group has acquired a majority stake in the operated rental business of Verona based Scaligera Service from the Bruneli family. The acquisition was made through Midolini’s main crane rental subsidiary, Midlift.

Scaligera will retain its non-operated rental business, largely self-propelled aerial work platforms, 3.5 tonne truck mounts, spider lifts and telehandlers, which it operates under the UpRentbrand from three locations, Mantua, Verona and Perona.

The transaction will include the formation of a new company, Scaligera Autogrù for the cranes and truck mounted aerial lifts, with Midlift owning 80 percent of the equity, while the Brunelli family retain a 20 percent holding. The fleet will include cranes up to the 220 tonne Liebherr LTM1220-5.2 and aerial work platforms up to a 48 metre Palfinger.

Midlift and Scaligera Autogrù will operate from seven locations between them: Udine, Trieste, Marghera, Ravenna, Sassuolo, Verona, and Trento. In 2025, Midolini had revenues of €54.3 million, up 22 percent on 2024, with a strong increase in profits.

Midolini group chief executive, Giacomo Pittin said: "This transaction not only allows us to strengthen our presence in a strategic area like Northern Italy and along the Brenner Pass, but also to integrate specialised skills, professionalism, and high level operational capabilities.”

“We have identified Scaligera Service as a partner with whom we share values, market approach, and industrial vision. The integration will enable us to develop significant operational and commercial synergies, leveraging the distinctive skills of the two companies and further strengthening the group's competitive position."

Scaligera Service chief executive Mauro Brunelli added: "This is a natural strategic choice to ensure the operated equipment rental division’s growth and competitiveness on a national scale, relying on the strength of a major industrial partner with a strong network. At the same time, this agreement stems from the desire to leverage what we have built over nearly 50 years.”

“As a member of the board of directors, I will be personally committed to ensuring that our long standing customers continue to receive the same standards of excellence."

A bit of history

Midolini
In 1950 the Midolini family decided to open a quarry, establishing Midolini Fratelli (Brothers) - in Fruili between Venice and the Slovenian border. They also acquired trucks to transport the aggregates that they produced, and with demand high for rebuilding the country, they expanded to other quarries on the outskirts of Udine.

The company entered the crane and lifting market in 1980 when it began purchasing lattice boomed mobile cranes, including Lorains from the USA.

It sold off the quarries and aggregates business in 1985, to focus on its lifting and heavy transport business, which has grown steadily through organic expansion and acquisitions, including Trieste based Mantini in 1991, and CTS earlier this year, which had itself acquired Sassuolgru in 2023 and RBM in 2021. In 1996 Midolini entered the ports and logistics business, which has become an important part of its operations.

In September 2022, private equity firms Smart Capital and VSL Club took a 43.66 percent stake in Midolini, which became the Midolini Group in 2024.

Today the company runs a fleet of All Terrain cranes up to the 500 tonne Liebherr LTM1500, truck mounted cranes from Idrogru and Ormig, along with a 600 tonne Demag TC2800 lattice truck crane, and a fleet of Fassi loader cranes. It also operates a sizeable fleet of truck mounted work platforms topped by the 66 metre Multitel J2-365 66/33.

Scaligera Service
Scaligera Montaggi was founded in 1978 by Augusto Brunelli to erect prefabricated buildings, having been employed by a Verona based company in the business until then.

In 1996, the Brunellis began renting out the aerial work platforms they used in their building work, as demand for such equipment blossomed, following changes in the work at height regulations.

By 2022, this part of the business was growing rapidly and had become the company’s primary business, so the Brunellis decided to change the name to Scaligera Service. The UpRent brand was adopted in 2019 as part of a move fully into the digital world.