Tower crane sales alliance

Wolffkran Arabia, a joint venture between Dubai-based Kanoo Group and German crane manufacturer Wolffkran, has agreed to supply Habtoor Leighton Group (HLG) with machines and plant as part of a five-year purchasing and rental deal.

Martin Kirby, Wolffkran Arabia managing director, said the deal includes tower crane supply and installation, plant hire and disposal of crane stock. It is believed that the deal could be one of the first of its kind in the GCC.

The deal covers HLG's requirements throughout the GCC was formally signed-off at a recent ceremony by executives from Wolffkran Arabia, Wolffkran and HLG.

Wolffkran Arabia is initially supplying five cranes to the construction giant and the hire and purchasing alliance ensures that it gets first option on future tower crane requirements for HLG, said Wolffkran.

Wolffkran Arabia is also supporting HLG with the removal of older tower cranes from HLG's fleet. This holistic approach to updating the HLG tower crane fleet, and the flexibility and support from Wolffkran were key features that attracted HLG to form the alliance.

Kirby revealed that two Wolff 7532 cross 16 tonne tower cranes have already joined a fleet of six rental cranes working on the new Mafraq Hospital in Abu Dhabi, which began construction earlier this year.

He predicted that the deal could lead to other opportunities with contractors in the region, especially in Saudi Arabia.

"The HLG alliance agreement is a key development in Wolffkran's business here in the Gulf and a major part of our strategy," commented Kirby. "It is also a business model that we would like to replicate elsewhere."