06.10.2009

UpRight France

UpRight powered Access is establishing a new sales and service operation in France, in conjunction with Independent Parts & Service, which is also a partner in UpRight’s UK distribution business and is Belgian distributor Heli.

The new venture, UPAF, will be formally launched at this years Batimat trade fair in Paris in early November.

Frédéric Allier, currently managing director of IPS France who will manage UPAF said: “UpRight Powered Access France brings together expertise in spare parts, product support and sales of aerial lifts
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Frédéric Allier

“UpRight has one of the best product portfolios in the business. Now through UpRight Powered Access France, it has the sales and service network to match.”

The stand at Batimat will target UpRights new range of low level aerial lifts, including its PAX range of push around scissor lifts.
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The new UpRight PAX range of push-around scissors will feature on the UPAF stand at Batimat

Vertikal Comment

UPAF is almost a mirror image of the company’s UK distribution operation – UPAS, Upright Powered Access Sales UK – a joint venture between IPS and APS.

Allier is a past employee of UpRight and knows the products well and through IPS has been providing after sales support for the brand in recent years.

An earlier attempt to establish an independently owned UpRight France was launched in mid 2007 in partnership with PSE of Holland with ex Genie salesman Yannick Borgel. That venture never really got off the ground, possibly due to the different market strategies of the two companies and Borgel departed for Skyjack France.

UpRight has not been a force in France for several years, in the early 1990’s it did relatively well with ABM with significant end user sales, moving to Dimalev in the mid 1990’s and then Bergerat Monnoyeur Manutention.

A substantial volume of machines were sold in the late 1990’s to Zooom France – part of the Lavendon Group and SGB France. Most of those units are now eight to nine years old.

The combination of Heli and IPS should reassure French owners of UpRight machines, while a fresh approach from Heli, which has sold equipment into Northern France for many years combined with Allier’s experience and local knowledge should help re-establish the brand in France.