Mediaco enters Swiss crane rental market

mobile cranes working together. Mediaco opens in Switzerland with acquisition of Matthey-Petit. Photo: Mediaco/Matthey-Petit

France’s largest crane rental company Mediaco has entered the Swiss market with its acquisition of Matthey-Petit SA.

This latest acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, follows Mediaco’s addition of four depots in Germany between 2015 and 2020 as part of its plan for international expansion.

Matthey-Petit is a crane rental, industrial installation and construction transport specialist with a turnover of €15 million. It has a fleet of 110 pieces of equipment. There are 25 wheeled mobile cranes up to 500 tonnes capacity. There are also four Liebherr MK 88 and MK 140, and two Spierings AT6, mobile folding construction cranes.

Straddling the crane and transport fleets is a collection of 11 large, 120 tonne-metre, loader crane trucks. The transport fleet includes 23 tractor units, with up to five axles, and 52 heavy specialized trailers with up to seven axles.

Expansion plans

Mediaco said it plans to grow its new subsidiary, adding new machines in 2024. This will be five wheeled mobile telescopic cranes between 60 and 450 tonnes capacity, three large, 145 tonne-metre, loader crane trucks and two more Liebherr MK series mobile tower cranes.

In addition to equipment the growth plan includes the addition of 20 new people over the next 18 months. Claude Matthey will continue with the company as a director.

About Matthey-Petit

In 1927 Arthur Matthey, father of current proprietor Claude Matthey, founded Matthey Transfers, a transport company. In 1993 the Matthey family took over crane rental, industrial handling and transport company Petit Levages SA, a company formed in 1985 by Georges Petit. Matthey-Petit has nearly 60 employees.

About Mediaco

Alexandre-Jacques Vernazza heads up the Mediaco group which has a total annual revenue of €425 million. Of that total, €380 million is from lifting, handling and industrial transfer, making it the largest company in France and the third in Europe.

It has 90 branches in France and internationally. Growth has been more than 200 per cent in less than ten years. There are 2,200 employees and the fleet of 3,000 pieces of equipment includes 850 cranes, between 30 and 1,200 tonnes capacity.

Matthey-Petit is now in the Mediaco fold. Photo: Mediaco/Matthey-Petit