Wilbert plans expansion

GERMANY: Tower crane manufacturer and rental house, Wilbert, will move to a new factory near Laubersheim in Germany. Production at the 1,291,669 sq. ft. facility, which is 2.4 miles from the existing factory, will start in the second quarter of 2007.

The reason behind the factory move is an increasing order book that will see Wilbert double production of its flagship WT200 tower crane by 2007. Wilbert told ACT that 50 units have been sold in the last two and a half years but that another 50 will be built in 2007.

The company will also unveil two as yet unnamed tower cranes at the Bauma exhibition in Germany next year. One of the two new models will be fully erected and the other will be shown on a trailer to demonstrate ease of transport.