For Immediate Release

August 8, 2005

New Potains for rent as Arcomet France expands tower crane fleet

Arcomet France held an Open Day at its Montpellier headquarters to celebrate the delivery of the first Potain units from a 28 crane order. Left to right are: Dirk Theyskens, managing director Arcomet Group; Luc Theyskens, managing director, Arcomet France; Christophe Simoncelli, area sales manager (Scandinavia, Benelux, Israel) Manitowoc Crane Group; Frans Wouters, managing director, Arcomet Group.

Arcomet France staged an Open Day at its headquarters in Montpellier, France this June to celebrate the latest additions to its expanding rental fleet. Earlier this year the company ordered 28 new Potain tower cranes and in the presence of over 400 contractors, customers and colleagues, it celebrated the delivery of the first seven units. The cranes already delivered are a combination of 12 t (13.2 USt) MD 310, 10 t (11 USt) MD 265 B, 8 t (8.8 USt) MDT 178 and 4 t (4.4 USt) GTMR 386 B units. The remaining units will be delivered between now and September and all have already been allocated work – mostly housing projects in the south of France.

The Arcomet Group is one of the largest tower crane rental companies in the world and is headquartered in Paal-Beringen, Belgium. It established its Arcomet France subsidiary in 2000 after purchasing Lafont Et Cie, and since then has grown the fleet from 45 to 225 tower cranes, 80% of which are Potain units. Today the company is one of the top five crane rental operations in France.

Arcomet France’s managing director Luc Theyskens suggests two reasons for the continuing success of the company in France.

“The French market is very busy at the moment and we’re continuing to grow our fleet, as the construction market remains strong. Furthermore, the shift to rental among contractors is continuing as construction firms do not want to invest in cranes at the risk of losing a lot of cash and forming long-term obligations with financial institutions.”

Dirk Theyskens, managing director and head of sales and marketing for the Arcomet

Group, traveled to the event in Montpellier from the Arcomet headquarters in Belgium. He identified three main factors behind Arcomet’s continued investment in Potain.

“Firstly we are convinced that Potain cranes have the best resale value in the industry. Arcomet has a big trading division for used cranes and Potains are always in demand. Secondly Potain’s quality of servicing, through the Manitowoc Crane CARE program, is the best in France. The support network is so comprehensive we decided to purchase our new cranes with a five year warranty. The third factor behind our purchase was financial. The Potain product is very cost-effective.”

It’s not just France where Arcomet is developing its fleet. The company has already purchased a further 21 units for its activities elsewhere. The new order forms part of a wider strategy for Arcomet Group as managing director and head of strategy Frans Wouters explains.

“We like to keep our fleet under five years old, and we have a large number of cranes. However, there is never any problem trading in an older Potain crane and we’re continually looking to update. It is also our policy to purchase larger tower cranes - those between 300 and 500 tonne-meters - as the current trend for the rental of such cranes continues.”

Arcomet is now looking to the future with a new management team following the departure of former managing director Leo Theyskens, brother of Luc and Dirk. The management team now comprises Dirk Theyskens and Frans Wouters, based at the Arcomet Group headquarters in Belgium, and Luc Theyskens, who is now permanently based in Montpellier in charge of Arcomet France. Despite a period of adjustment, Dirk Theyskens is positive about the future.

“We wish Leo all the best and we are grateful for his time and efforts at Arcomet over the past 20 years. We are now looking forward to the next chapter in Arcomet’s history. With a recent partnership in the US with P & J Cranes, we hope for new growth across the Atlantic and for continued growth in Western Europe.”

High Resolution Photograph (327 KB)

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.

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