Welex expands in Europe

The mats are manufactured from tropical hardwood, which Welex purchases direct from sawmills in Cameroon, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Guyana. "We buy without the intervention of middlemen, which obviously has a favourable effect on the price," says the company.

"Hardwood is an excellent material for crane mats. The ekki wood in particular, which is extremely strong, as hard as rock and wear-resistant. But we also use other kinds of hardwood, which are carefully selected and tested for use as crane mats. The special construction guarantees a long life," adds Welex.

The company began 40 years in Holland and is headquartered in Lexmond, a small village near the city of Utrecht. The German office opened at the beginning of 2009, while the UK office officially opened in June.