Crown Equipment to Expand in Europe

Crown Equipment Corporation is expanding its activities in Germany with three new investments to enhance customer service throughout Europe. “Although the world market for forklifts declined slightly in 2012, we were able to further expand our business in the EMEA region. This can be attributed to the fact that in the continuing difficult economic situation, customers are constantly looking for ways to cut costs,” said Ken Dufford, vice president Europe, Crown.

Crown plans to relocate its European headquarters from Munich to a nearby location in Feldkirchen where the company has acquired a developed commercial site. The move is expected to be completed by the end of this year. With this move, Crown is preparing for continued steady growth in Europe with a clear focus on meeting the needs and requirements of its customers. Since last year, the company has expanded its presence in Europe, opening service and distribution centers in Spain (Madrid), Austria (Vienna) and Italy (Milan).

Crown has manufactured its products in Roding, Bavaria since 1986. It now consolidates Crown’s entire European forklift production for the EMEA region and other world markets. For the expansion of its Roding facility, Crown acquired a site on a new industrial and commercial estate, where the company is currently constructing a production hall and a three-storey office building. Construction is scheduled for completion in mid-2014. The existing premises will also continue operations.

The new Parts and Service Center in Pliening, also near Munich, will be made three times its size. Beginning in October, Pliening now handles spare parts supplies for the EMEA region. From here, the company makes overnight deliveries within its European core markets direct to the service engineers’ vehicles or to final customers.