Haulotte Group Buys Narrow Scissor Lifts, Announces Future Telehandler Plans, Discusses U.S. Growth

To increase its product offerings, the Haulotte Group, L'Horme, France, announced at Intermat an intellectual property sale in which Haulotte will manufacture Holland Lift's narrow electric scissor lift line, which includes three models with 39-, 46-, and 54-foot platform heights, for its worldwide distribution network. In time, Haulotte also will assemble these three narrow electric scissor lift models for Holland Lift.

Haulotte considers the arrangement positive for both companies. Previously, Haulotte's range of electric scissor lifts only reached 33 feet, so the agreement provides an extension to its scissor lift product range. For Holland Lift, it will increase its production capacity in the fast-growing scissor lift industry.

Future Telehandler Plans

In other company news, Haulotte has announced it will break ground on a new worldwide facility in Cantabre, Spain, to manufacture its own line of telescopic handlers. According to Alexandre Saubot, managing director of the Haulotte Group, the company has received a good return from its telehandler agreement with Italian manufacturer Faresin, but Haulotte “is not sharing the same ideas with Faresin.” Saubot added that Haulotte will be “going on with its telehandler business” and will dedicate part of the new Spanish factory to design its own telehandlers, which are planned for release in 2007.

As the first Haulotte factory built outside France to support the company's international development, the Spanish factory will be built on a 645,000-square-foot field in the Besaya en Reocin industrial area. Additionally, the company also wants to add a facility in Eastern Europe. The actual location will be announced this summer.

North American Growth

Speaking with Lift and Access, Bernie Kiekebosch, director of national sales and marketing for North America, Asia, and Australia, said growth in North America is dependant on opening facilities in key locations. With its current operations in Rialto, Calif., and headquarters in Baltimore, Md., expansion in North America will include adding a facility in the south and the Great Lakes region. One possibility for growth is acquiring another U.S. manufacturer and moving into its facility, Kiekebosch said, which can allow for remanufacturing and manufacturing capabilities in North America.

As the company announced previously this year, Haulotte's goals for the North American market include providing better product support; increasing parts availability by 30%; increasing market share to 10% in the next two years; and changing the sales network to focus more on direct sales.