Getting cranes to the world’s most remote job sites can be a monumental task, but Manitowoc has a long history in doing just that. One recent example required the company to draw on its lengthy shipping experience and utilize its strong dealer network to deliver two Grove cranes to Zanzibar, Tanzania.
A Grove YardBoss YB5518 industrial crane and a Grove RT880E rough-terrain crane were shipped to the main port of Unguja, one of the two islands that comprise Zanzibar.
Mustafa Jumbe, director general of ZPC, said government regulations and conflicting requirements for regional authorities made it tougher to ship to Zanzibar.
“The two cranes had to be shipped directly to Zanzibar’s port, bypassing mainland Tanzania. This made the whole process longer and more difficult, but despite the unusual requirement, Manitowoc found a shipping route and delivered the cranes to us without a problem.”
Manitowoc and TTD’99, its dealer in Tanzania, mapped out an 87-day journey for the cranes. The route took the cranes from Baltimore, Md., in the U.S., via Durban, South Africa, through Mombasa, Kenya before they eventually landed in Zanzibar.
The final leg of the journey from Mombasa to Zanzibar had to be made on a specially chartered landing craft because of the shallow draft of Zanzibar’s port, plus the fact that there were no dock cranes to unload the two cranes.
“In all, it took us three years to select the proper cranes, tender bids, establish financing and determine a suitable shipping route to bring the cranes to our port,” Jumbe said. “Manitowoc and TTD’99 were with us every step of the way.”
Before submitting their tender, TTD’99 and Manitowoc analyzed ZPC’s unique needs at its port. Having studied lifting requirements and available space, the company suggested two cranes to cover operations, the Grove YB5518 and the RT880E.
The cranes are handling general breakbulk cargo that is either entering Unguja or requires transshipping to other islands. The RT880E is ideal for the Zanzibar port because it combines heavy lifting power, rugged construction and a tight turning circle. It has a 75 t capacity and a 39 m boom.
The YB5518’s small footprint and maneuverability make it ideal for the congested port that requires speedy loading and unloading. Its ability to offer two-wheel, four-wheel or crab steering makes it even easier to navigate tight work areas. The crane has a 16.3 t capacity and 16.6 m boom.
“These cranes can lift the loads we need to move plus navigate around our busy port,” Jumbe said. “These two Grove cranes perfectly fit the bill.”
Over the course of the deal, Manitowoc, TTD’99 and ZPC were confronted with the challenges and intricacies of doing business in Tanzania. For example, it took more than seven months for ZPC to establish a Letter of Credit from the local bank and to satisfy other government requirements.
Jan van Liere, owner of TTD’99, said doing business in Tanzania can be tough, but Manitowoc and its dealers are committed to customer satisfaction.
“There were many hurdles to clear in delivering these cranes to Zanzibar,” van Liere said. “But knowing that ZPC received the cranes on time and ready to work made this deal especially rewarding.”
As testament to the rapidly growing Tanzanian market, TTD’99 has delivered two more cranes to the country: a Grove GMK2035E all-terrain crane and a RT9130E rough-terrain crane. ZPC plans to purchase more Grove cranes as its operation expands.