For Immediated Release

July 1, 2005

Manitowoc Crane CARE success at first EMEA conference

The first ever Manitowoc Crane CARE Conference in EMEA took place in Hohenroda, Germany, with over 80 delegates in attendance.

Manitowoc Crane CARE’s first ever conference in the Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) region was hailed as a complete success with over 80 delegates attending the two-day event in Hohenroda, Germany. The attendees, representing Potain’s 60 German dealers, listened to presentations on a variety of topics related to the four key components of Crane CARE: parts, service, training and technical documentation.

Crane CARE is now a fully-fledged business unit of the Manitowoc Crane Group with 750 employees working at 250 locations. In EMEA the business employs over 500 people, with 310 responsible for the Potain line of tower cranes and 200 overseeing the Grove mobile crane and Manitowoc crawler crane product lines.

The reason for the sustained growth at Crane CARE is a shift in end users’ approach to after-market care. End users are paying more attention to the cost of ownership of their equipment and taking a more scientific approach to maximizing machine utilization. Gone are the days of cheaper purchase prices in exchange for limited or no warranty. Today, companies prefer to buy extended warranties.

Crane CARE understands this shift in thinking better than most, according to Larry Weyers, executive vice president of Manitowoc Crane CARE. “We’re moving away from the ‘break/fix’ approach to crane maintenance,” he told delegates during his keynote speech. “We’re focusing more on the product life cycle – the cost of ownership. I even tell our customers ‘We don’t want to focus on product support anymore’. Because to me ‘product support’ means focusing on a product after it’s failed. Our approach is different. We’re focusing on uptime – not downtime.”

Thibaut Le Besnerais, general manager of Crane CARE in EMEA, was next to address the conference, and he explained how Potain’s work on the Millau Viaduct in France was a modern-day example of how service can be the crucial factor in winning lifting contracts. On this high profile project - the tallest road bridge in the world - Potain supplied seven K5/50C tower cranes to main contractor Eiffage Construction. But, according to Le Besnerais, the deciding factor for the contractor was the service provision that came with the cranes.

“We provided 24 hour a day service, parts on site and a guarantee to troubleshoot all problems within 24 hours,” he said. “It was our ability to provide such comprehensive service that won us the contract. This focus truly differentiates us from our competitors and demonstrates that the better we become at service, the better we will become at sales.”

The two-day event also saw presentations on spare parts, training, technical documentation, as well as an overview of Manitowoc Crane Group and presentations from some of the company’s preferred suppliers. Among those speaking on Crane CARE’s spare parts provision was Jean-Pierre Zaffiro, parts, sales and logistics director for EMEA, who invited all delegates to visit the new logistics center in Decines, France which includes a 6000 m2 (65,000 ft2) warehouse and ships 10 t (11 USt) of spare parts for Potain cranes alone each day.

In addition to detailing the services offered by Crane CARE, the conference also introduced the Manitowoc Crane CARE ‘Abkommen’ program, the equivalent of the coveted Manitowoc Crane CARE Elite program in The Americas. To achieve ‘Abkommen’ status EMEA dealers must make a substantial investment in their after-sales provision. That means holding an extensive stock of spare parts, ensuring technicians are trained to the highest level possible and providing an on-site library of technical documentation – to name just a few criteria. To date, 13 companies have applied for Abkommen status and are in the process of being audited by Crane CARE to ensure they have facilities in place to provide the industry-leading level of service the Abkommen badge demands.

Thibaut Le Besnerais said the event had been a great success and that further conferences were planned in the EMEA region to develop the company’s message. “Crane CARE is committed to ensuring our customers have the lowest cost of ownership,” he said. “If we maximize uptime then we maximize revenue for our customers. By keeping maintenance a high priority we will also maximize the residual value of our cranes.”

High Resolution Photograph (2.47 MB)

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 U.S. maritime industry.

# # #