Grove Promotes New 55 t (60 USt) All-Terrain Crane with Netherlands ‘Road Show’
There cannot be many new crane launches where the level of interest is such
that some 100 confirmed orders have been received before it goes on public
display - but that is the case with the new, much-anticipated 55 t (60 USt)
capacity Grove GMK3055. The crane made its first public appearance at the
bauma 2004 exhibition in March. Many potential customers had had preview
visits to the Manitowoc Crane Group - Wilhelmshaven facility in Germany - and
yet, even since bauma 2004, there are still more customers waiting to see and
try the crane for themselves.
That is why the Grove sales team
decided to put the machine on a demonstration tour, first in The Netherlands,
to give as many people as possible the opportunity to get hands-on experience.
Starting out from the Manitowoc Crane Group - Breda facility (in the south of
The Netherlands), the GMK3055 tour covered over 2000 km (1200 miles). The tour
took four weeks and visited most of the major commercial and industrial
centers. More than 40 customers had the chance to operate the crane on their
own premises or job site, and to compare its performance with other
similarly-rated cranes.
“We have not been disappointed,” said Klaus
Kroeppel, MCG’s sales director for Northwest Europe, “and nor have our
customers - there has been a very positive response. They have appreciated
this opportunity to make their own assessment, and it has enabled us to secure
the first sales in The Netherlands and to log several strong new sales
prospects.”
Among those who viewed and tested the crane were
Eyke-Hogendoorn (Terneuzen), Riwal (Dordrecht), Wagenborg (Groningen), Van
Riel (Tilburg), Boekestijn (Maasland), Peinemann (Rotterdam), and Hak
(Ridderkerk).
The first sale, and the first delivery in The
Netherlands - in fact the final destination of the demo machine, was to
Herpertz of Heythuysen in the south of the country, which took delivery of the
demo crane at the end of the tour.
“We know the predecessor model,
the GMK3050, very well because we already have four in our fleet, and they
have been stalwart performers for many years,” said company owner Jan-Paul
Herpertz. “But the technology has moved on, and the performance of the new
model is even better, so we will progressively replace all of our 50-tonners
with this impressive new 55 t Grove machine,” he added.
The key
features of the GMK3055 are the more sophisticated cab and controls, and the
new, longer 43 m (141 ft) boom which makes it very competitive with all cranes
up to 60 t (66 USt) capacity.
Judging by the enthusiastic reception
and the early demand, the Manitowoc Crane Group sales team is confident the
new GMK3055 will go on to match the success of the GMK3050, of which Grove has
sold more than 1000 units.
About The Manitowoc Company
The Manitowoc Company, Inc. is one of the world's largest providers of lifting
equipment for the global construction industry, including lattice-boom cranes,
tower cranes, mobile telescopic cranes, and boom trucks. As a leading
manufacturer of ice-cube machines, ice/beverage dispensers, and commercial
refrigeration equipment, the company offers the broadest line of cold-focused
equipment for the foodservice industry. In addition, the company is a leading
provider of shipbuilding, ship repair, and conversion services for government,
military, and commercial customers throughout the US maritime industry.
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For More Information Contact: Tom Cioni
Manitowoc Crane Group
Tel: + 1 920 683 6510 E-mail:
tcioni@manitowoccranes.com
Ben Shaw
SE10 Creative Tel: +44 1829 549609 E-mail:
shaw@se10.com
