Manitou Announces Reorganization to Better Serve Its Customers | Industry News

Manitou Group’s President and CEO Michel Denis has unveiled a new direction for the company, which includes the Group being organized by three divisions—Material Handling and Access (MHA) product division, Compact Equipment (CE) product division, and the Service & Solutions (S&S) division.

MHA Division-The MHA will manage the French and Italian production sites, manufacturing telehandlers, rough-terrain and industrial forklifts, truck-mounted forklifts, and aerial working platforms. Its mission is to optimize the development and production of these machines branded Manitou.

CE Division-The CE division will optimize the development and production of skidsteer loaders, track loaders, articulated loaders, and telehandlers branded Gehl and Mustang.

S&S Division-The S& division will include service activities to support sales (financing approaches, warranty contracts, maintenance contracts, full service, fleet management), aftersales (parts, technical training, warranty management, fleet management), and services to end users (geo-location, user training, advice). The mission of the division is to develop service offers to meet the needs of each the customers in the value chain and to increase resilient sales revenue for the Group.

The three divisions design and assemble products and services which are distributed by the sales and marketing organization to dealers and key accounts in 120 countries. The new business strategy will be deployed by products, regions, and integrating service offerings.

Denis said, "This strategy will firmly focus on the value provided to our customers, while strengthening our leadership, growth and profitability. The new organization will offer a positive operating impact while benefiting our customers with a less complex as well as a more responsive organization."

The new organization project presented to the Works Council will be implemented at the beginning of July 2014 and be deployed over 10 months. The strategic objectives, the tactical approach, and the operational plan will be presented in detail at the annual General Meeting scheduled on June 5, 2014.

Evolution of Governance
Dominique Bamas is now back on the Board of Directors, replacing Joël Goulet, who resigned. Bamas has been appointed independent director; his nomination will be proposed at the annual General Meeting on June 5, 2014.

Marcel Braud, chairman of the Board said, “Dominique Bamas joined back the Board, reinforced by an experience and knowledge of the Group which will be very profitable for the Board. The Board members have unanimously expressed their gratitude to Mr. Joël Goulet who resigns after 20 years of collaboration with Manitou, being successively CEO of the Group and afterwards independent Director and after having supported the establishment of the new ambitions of Manitou.”

Following this development, the Board will maintain its balanced configuration with six family directors and three independent directors.