Manitowoc hosts Crane Expo

Close to 900 customers and dealer representatives attended Manitowoc's Crane Expo event held October 3-8 at the company's Shady Grove, PA plant in the USA. Attendees had the opportunity to take plant tours, meet Manitowoc key staff and view and see up close Manitowoc, Grove, National Crane and Potain cranes. Manitowoc also offered the opportunity for its guests to operate several models.

Larry Weyers, executive vice president for Manitowoc Cranes in the Americas, said that even during challenging economic times, it is important to focus on product innovation. "The cranes that we showcased this week are a testament to Manitowoc's ongoing commitment to our customers to provide the most productive and profitable cranes," he said. "Despite the severe economic challenges we are all facing, Manitowoc has not wavered from its commitment to innovative design."

Among the cranes on display was the newest addition to Grove's rough terrain crane product line. The 150 US ton (136 metric tonne) capacity RT9150E was unveiled as the world's largest rough terrain crane, the company said. The machine's 197 foot (60 meter) main boom is the longest on any current production rough terrain crane, the company said.

Also on display from Grove was the GMK6300L, a 350 ton (300 tonne) capacity all terrain crane that was launched at the Bauma 2010 exhibition in Munich, Germany in April 2010. Crane Expo marks the first time the crane was seen in the USA. With a 262 foot (80 m) main boom, the crane can handle a range of heavy lifting without the need to rig the jib.

A 440 ton (400 tonne) capacity Manitowoc 16000 crawler crane was on display. The crane was outfitted with a wind attachment, a special boom tip that increases the capacity of the crane by 49 percent when working at the close radii required for erecting wind turbines, the company said.

Potain tower and self erecting cranes were also on display. Both Igo self erecting cranes and top slewers with the latest new cab with improved visibility and improved features for operator comfort.

Other cranes on display were two of the newest cranes in the National Crane boom truck line, the NBT 50 and the NBT 45, and several models from the YardBoss and Shuttlelift brands.

Weyers said that the unprecedented number of visitors at this customer event showed great optimism in the industry. "We were encouraged by the interest our customers and dealers showed during the event," he said. "While many areas of the economy are still very slow to recover, a renewed interest in infrastructure development, plus the generally positive outlook across the energy industry, has given us hope for a solid recovery. Our cranes are suited to these applications, and we are cautiously optimistic about the near term."

In addition, representatives from Manitowoc Crane Care and Manitowoc Finance were available to provide information regarding parts, service and training as well as financing options.