Genie looks for more European facilities

Terex Aerial Work Platforms has been producing two electric scissor lift models at Terex Construction's Coventry facility in the UK since November last year and is now looking for another European location to manufacture rough terrain scissors.

The Genie GS-1532 and GS-1932 scissors, both high volume models in Genie's line-up, are the first scissors that Genie has manufactured in Europe, and follow the production of the Z-45 and Z-51 articulated booms in Italy.

Matt Fearon (pictured), Terex AWP vice president and managing director for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Russia, told Access International that manufacturing the models in Europe would give it the ability to build machines “to order” for European customers, giving them faster deliveries and more flexibility.

As part of the manufacturing start-up, Terex AWP has created a European supply chain, which Mr Fearon said would improve parts availability for customers in Europe.

Terex AWP has taken 35000 ft² at the Coventry facility (pictured) – where it employs 75 staff working on a single shift - and has the capacity to produce “several thousand” of the two small scissors a year. Mr Fearon said the plan was to build the other electric scissors in the Genie range at Coventry, with production likely to start in the third quarter of this year, a move that would close to double the production capacity.

In addition, Mr Fearon said Terex AWP was now looking at a further facility in Europe to make rough terrain scissors. He said it would “probably not” be Coventry, nor the Italian facility where Terex makes articulated booms and telehandlers. He said Terex was looking at “a completely new facility”, which could be a brownfield or Greenfield site or a plant acquisition, with a possible 2009 opening date.

The investment in European manufacturing reflects both the buoyant European market for aerials and Terex AWP's stated strategy of globalising the business – it said last year that it was considering opening an Asia manufacturing facility by the 2009.

Mr Fearon said; “2007 was incredible, especially in Europe and the Middle East. We expect it to continue in 2008; maybe not quite so robust as 2007, but we're very optimistic.” He said 2009 could see a slowdown in Western Europe, although that could be offset by “real quick” growth in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Terex is taking a very meticulous approach to establishing its new manufacturing centres. The Coventry line, for example, was designed and built at Genie's Redmond headquarters in the US before being shipped and re-assembled in the UK. “We have to control the manufacturing process to have consistent products and suppliers around the globe”, said Mr Fearon.