After being awarded the famous "Label Observeur du Design 2018" by APCI last July for its MLT New Ag range of agricultural telehandlers, the Manitou group has now won the "Étoile du Design Made in France", beating more than 160 projects in the industrial sector. The jury, made up of around thirty influential people in the industrial design sector, clearly liked the "predatory" appearance of this range and its tight, keen curves giving these telehandlers a certain power and aggressiveness. Open to companies, designers, schools and authorities, the Observeur du Design identifies innovative creations and showcases French design expertise. Awarded by the Secretary of State alongside the Minister of the Economy and Finances, Benjamin Griveaux, this award highlights the Group's expertise in product design. Supported by an R&D team of more than 240 engineers and technicians, the Manitou group makes a point of combining performance and aesthetics in its creations.
Thierry Lehmann, the original designer of the NewAg range's lines, explains his thought process: "With very little presence in the handling sector before the 2000s, we have sought to make design a pillar of our models. The NewAg range has been designed to improve the lives of users, with clear visibility for enhanced safety, easy cab access thanks to the EasyStep and optimized ergonomics in the driver's cab with a joystick that reduces musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). We made the decision to have a very dynamic, keen line, conveying efficiency, sturdiness and power to give the range a modern appearance that turns the codes of handling on their head". The Manitou group filed 8 patents while developing this NewAg range. In order to make its expertise known to the public, Manitou Group seized the opportunity of this ceremony to display one of the famous models from the NewAg range in front of the Pompidou Centre.
Key figures of the MLT NewAg range:
- 12 models with heights ranging from 6 to 9 metres for a loading capacity of between 3 and 4 tonnes
- 150 people involved full time for 3 years, in R&D and marketing, in design and production
- 800 production documents
- 15,000 prototype parts
- 100,000 hours of work, i.e. 55 years for a single person!
- 120,000 hours of in-house and external testing with the support of 50 clients
