05.04.2001

Liftlux doubles output as Bouffault re-affirms support

Liftlux has just completed an expansion programme that has doubled the size of its factory and expects to double the number of units it builds this year. The figures were revealed by Jean-Yves Bouffault, president of Potain, the company that bought Liftlux last year and is itself now in the process of being bought by US crawler crane manufacturer Manitowoc.

Speaking exclusively to vertikal.net at the bauma exhibition in Munich Bouffault said that Liftlux would build about 1,200 units this year. He added that the company is currently recruiting four new engineers and a variety of other employees and was in the process of re-designing and upgrading many models.
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Jean-Yves Bouffault, second from right, has big plans for Liflux. With him are: Hans Neu, Eric Orsati, Gerd Altmeyer and Gerard Muller.

"Potain's access operations need to become a significant part of our turnover" said Bouffault adding that for him something around 25 per cent would be significant. "We have unlimited funds available for the right ideas and projects and want to see our access division offering a full range of services which could include hoists, mast-climbing work platforms and any other form of lifting personnel" said Bouffault.

Asked if there was any possibility that Manitowoc or Potain would consider selling Liftlux, Bouffault replied: "No, absolutely not" and added that he would continue as President and CEO of Potain once Manitowoc had completed its purchase of the company.

Liflux is displaying a full range of scissors at the company including its new 26.2 metre platform height SL260-2S. This weighs 25 tonnes. Also on show are new electric scissor with 23 metres of working height and a width of 1.2 metres.

* Turning to the company's crane operations, Jean-Yves Bouffault said that he could imagine that Potain might in the future sell Manitowoc crawler cranes in Germany and added "don't forget that we have three factories and a Frankfurt office with 40 employees in Germany - we are German!" He added that a decision was unlikely before September.