Heavy equipment manufacturer Manitou will be revealing its newest Manitou Heavy Telescopic Handler Machines at this year’s Electra Mining Africa exhibition.

Manitou is “committed to reducing its environmental impact” and has therefore embarked on a “massive” electrification project, says Middle East and Africa VP Darren Hall.

Electric forklifts and access platforms have for some time been a part of the Manitou range, as has, more recently, the 100% electric 200 ATJ E rough terrain access platform, and the company intends to further expand its low to zero emission range by introducing electric rotating and fixed telehandlers into the mix.

In addition to this, the Manitou Group is currently investing €158-million in expanding manufacturing capacity to meet its 2025 growth projections.

The company’s growth and objectives for the next 12 months reflect recent economic activity levels, considering that several sectors’ growth has been stunted by such factors as the Covid-19 pandemic.

Other factors such as the escalation of inflation and interest rates, compounded by load-shedding and increasing fuel prices, have also affected the buying power of businesses which has slowed down the recovery rate of many industries, Hall states.

Consumer confidence was at its lowest in 2020 owing to the Covid pandemic. This did, however, start recovering during 2021 and the beginning of 2022 but has recently decreased again.

“Looking at those statistics, economic activity was on the road to recovery. Different sectors seem to have bounced back at different paces. For instance, mining bounced back relatively quickly whereas construction is on a slower curve and has not yet recovered,” Hall says.

He adds that customer centricity is at the core of Manitou Group’s values and the company’s offerings therefore “go beyond just equipment”.

“When you buy a Manitou, you are buying a tool to make your job more efficient in order to increase your productivity. We understand this and offer world-class after-market services to increase the lifespan of your machine and minimise downtime,” Hall notes.

In addition, extended warranty offers are available as well as service contracts and agreements.

Overall, Manitou Group designs, manufactures, distributes and services versatile materials handling equipment in various industries.

“So, whether your need is to lift, load, handle or dig, we have you covered,” Hall enthuses, adding that the company “prides itself on offering world-class equipment, services and solutions to meet the specialised materials handling needs of all our customers”.

The company’s current product range includes an extensive range of telehandlers, forklift trucks, skid steer loaders, backhoe loaders, access platforms as well as warehousing equipment.

These machines are complemented with a range of attachments to suit various applications, making Manitou machines extremely versatile. Manitou’s offering “goes beyond just equipment”, as the company offers solutions to suit customers’ unique materials handling requirements.

The versatility of Manitou machines and attachments means that one machine can perform a variety of different tasks with just a quick, simple change of attachment.

The same telehandler can, for example, pick up, lift and transport material with forks, jibs, winches and bucket attachments; lift people with personnel platforms and perform specialised functions such as tyre, cylinder and pipe handling, to mention a few.

Hall explains that Manitou’s skid steer and backhoe ranges also offer versatility with over 50 types of handling attachments including buckets, blades, augers, breakers and sweepers.

“Through our extensive range of materials handling equipment, we offer innovative solutions to the mining, construction, agriculture, warehousing, industrial and other specialised sectors,” he concludes.