Manitowoc Cranes at Bc India
Manitowoc increased its presence at India’s leading construction equipment show, taking a large 816 m2 stand and launching a new Potain tower crane as well as showing one of its largest Grove mobile cranes. In addition, Manitowoc Crane Care, its customer support division, staged live training classes on the booth, as it did two years ago, and these proved hugely popular, with classes booked up each day.
One of the biggest attractions on the company’s booth is the new Potain MCi 48 C tower crane. The crane, which is built at the company’s factory in Pune, was making its public debut at the show. It is ideally suited to multi-story buildings between 8 and 15 floors and satisfies a gap in the current product line between Potain’s self-erecting cranes and the MCi 85 A top-slewing crane. The new crane will offer contractors productivity benefits in one of India’s busiest construction sectors.
Taking up the biggest space on the booth is the Grove GMK6300L, painted in the colors of Mumbai-based Shri Dinesh Cranes. The crane is making its first appearance at a trade show in India, although the unit at bC India is actually Shri Dinesh’s second. An international hit, the Grove GMK6300L has raced to 100 deliveries in a little over two years with customers around the world drawn to its 300 t capacity and class-leading 80 m boom.
Another Potain tower crane on the Manitowoc booth is the much larger Potain MC 175 B which is partially built at the company’s Pune facility and is also making its first appearance at an Indian show. The crane has an 8 t maximum capacity and can lift 1.4 t at its maximum outreach of 60 m. This crane is well-established in India, and a firm favorite on larger high-rise developments. Indian contracting giant Larsen & Toubro is the owner of the unit at bC India.
The live training courses, which run each of the four days of the show, are completely sold out. Manitowoc Crane Care’s reputation as the leading provider of crane training in India is continuing to strengthen, with the company offering on-line and on-site training, as well as providing live training at its factory.
Raman Joshi, managing director of Manitowoc Cranes India, said the timing of the show was good for manufacturers and visitors.
“India continues to move in the right direction, and although 2012 was a little slower we’re optimistic 2013 will show some growth,” he said. “We’re still expecting new infrastructure and energy projects to come on-line and to build these ambitious new developments contractors will need to use the latest lifting technology. The GMK6300L and MCi 48 C are two good examples of how modern cranes can help contractors complete projects faster and more efficiently.
“We were also pleased to stage our daily training sessions again. Our Manitowoc Crane Care training courses are going from strength-to-strength and customers recognize the safety and operational benefits available through having an in-depth knowledge of the cranes they are working with.”
Visitors to the Manitowoc booth at bC India 2013 can also able to check out a live demo of the services available through Manitowoc’s new Contact Center in Pune. The Contact Center gives customers fast phone access to a technician 24/7, to discuss any issues regarding their Manitowoc products.