Manitou Group, a worldwide leader in the manufacture of forklifts, aerial work platforms, and earthmoving equipment, plans to invest $80M in its two North American production sites in Yankton and Madison, South Dakota.
The investment will expand both sites, strengthen innovation, and develop new product lines.
Yankton's facility will see its current 200,000-sq.-ft. area increase by more than 65,000 sq. ft., and the 325,000-sq.-ft. Madison plant will grow by more than 80,000 sq. ft.
With this investment and a record order book of more than $3 billion, Manitou Group will achieve the targets set in its strategic plan, New Horizons 2025.
Expansion of the Yankton facility, which makes articulated loaders and telescopic handlers, and the Madison facility, which makes compact loaders, skid-steers, and track loaders, will also include significant upgrades to production lines.
Elisabeth Ausimour, Manitou Group's products division president, says the company plans to increase production at the sites by more than 150% by 2026.
"We have an extremely promising outlook on our markets, which entirely substantiates these investments,” Ausimour said. “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."
Ausimour noted that the expansion and upgrading projects fall within Manitou’s low-carbon transition, through the development of new ranges of electrically powered products.
The manufacturing equipment upgrades relate to mechanical welding and assembly, with the notable additions of new welding robots and laser cutting machines.
Between now and 2023, Manitou will hire 50 people at each site to work as welders, assemblers, maintenance technicians, and purchasers.
In parallel with the industrial investment, which will account for approximately $57 million, nearly $23 million will be dedicated to research and development. The group's major R&D projects include accelerating the renewal of product ranges and designing electric compact loaders and telehandlers between now and 2026 at the two North American sites.
Franck Buisard, VP of compact and articulated loader products, and also managing director of Manitou Equipment America, adds: "This massive investment is a clear indication of the group's ambition in North America, where there exists considerable market potential. The R&D teams are particularly excited about working on these highly strategic projects, aligned with the priorities in our CSR roadmap."
The group's global investments for the New Horizons 2025 strategic plan total $530 million.
These projects will launch in the second quarter of 2022 and continue through 2026.
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