Manitou Invests in U.S.

Manitou Group, a provider of handling, powered access, and earthmoving equipment, will invest $80 million in its two North American manufacturing facilities in Yankton and Madison, South Dakota.

This investment is to be spent on the extension of both sites, an innovation drive, and the development of new ranges. Through this program, the group reasserts its strong ambitions to achieve the targets set in its strategic plan New Horizons 2025.

With an order book standing at an all-time high of over 3 billion Euros, Manitou Group is investing amid a period of sustainable growth. This plan will initially finance the extension of the production facilities of Yankton (articulated loaders and telehandlers) and Madison (skid steers and track loaders), and subsequently fund the modernization of industrial equipments.

Manitou North America is a subsidiary of Manitou Group, located in West Bend, Wisconsin, which supports an extensive dealer network of more than 450 locations.

Elisabeth Ausimour, president of the product division, said: “We have an extremely promising outlook on our markets, which entirely substantiates these investments. These new developments will enable us to absorb peaks in demand, permanently increase our production capacities and increase the safety of our workers, in particular by optimizing flow management. Consequently, we expect to increase our output on these sites by more than 150% by 2026. These projects also fall within our low-carbon transition, through the development of new electric ranges.”

• The equipment upgrading relates to mechanical welding and assembly, with the notable additions of new welding robots and laser cutting machines. To support its development, the group intends to hire 50 people on each of these sites between now and 2023, in job categories such as welders, assemblers, maintenance technicians and purchasers.