L to R: Florian Horn, Dieter Moser, Norbert Brandt from Schmidbauer with Dieter Popp from Manitowoc, and Hermann Setzmüller and Werner Schmidbauer from Schmidbauer
Germany’s biggest crane operator, The Schmidbauer Group, has added two Grove all-terrain cranes to its fleet. The company took delivery of a 300 t capacity GMK6300L and 100 t capacity GMK4100L in late 2013, and both cranes were immediately put to work.
Schmidbauer chose the two Grove cranes because they combine impressive capacity with exceptional reach, and have weight-saving features that comply with Germany’s strict road laws, as Werner Schmidbauer, CEO of the company, explains:
“Grove not only makes strong cranes with very long booms but they innovate to save weight, making their cranes easier to transport all over Germany,” he says. “Our two new cranes feature aluminum wheels, which mean we can travel to job sites with more equipment and counterweight, saving time and hassle. They will make a great addition to our fleet.”
Grove is the only mobile crane manufacturer to offer aluminum wheels as standard. On the six-axle GMK6300L this saves up to 600 kg, a significant reduction that means owners can travel on German roads with more custom equipment or counterweight.
“Road laws are getting stricter in Germany, so our customers want lighter cranes that don’t compromise capacity,” adds Dieter Popp, regional sales manager at Manitowoc. “Our weight-saving wheels give our Grove cranes a distinct advantage in the market.”
Schmidbauer’s new Grove cranes went to work immediately. The GMK4100L’s first job was at a paper mill in Plattling where it removed an antenna from a silo. The crane used its 60 m long boom with 6.3 t counterweight to perform the pick with ease.
The GMK4100L is based in Schmidbauer’s Deggendorf branch in south-east Germany, while the GMK6300L is based out of the company’s headquarters in Unterschleissheim, near Munich.
Grove’s GMK6300L continues to make its mark in the global mobile crane industry. Since its launch at the end of 2010, more than 150 units have been sold worldwide. The crane’s seven-section, 80 m boom is the longest in its class, designed for strong lifts without the need to rig a jib.
The GMK 4100L is a four-axle 100 t capacity crane with a 60 m boom, which can be extended to 77 m with a jib.
Founded in 1932, The Schmidbauer Group operates a fleet of 250 mobile cranes, which offer capacities of up to 1,250 t. The company operates from 20 sites across Germany and employs 600 people.