Officially opened in front of a large audience of elected officials and journalists, the new plant located in the Petit Tesseau area of Candé (Maine-et-Loire) becomes the group's second platform factory, and the group's sixth factory based in the Grand-Ouest, consolidating the group's presence in this region. The existing factory in the Fosses Rouges industrial estate, also in Candé, will continue to produce industrial aerial work platforms, while the new site will be entirely dedicated to the production of rough-terrain aerial work platforms.
Built in collaboration with the Legendre Group, the site covers an area of 80,000 m², has 18,000 m² of industrial buildings and includes two automated production lines, a test center and dedicated logistics facilities. This €26 million investment is part of a global plan to develop and modernize the industrial facilities on all of the Group's production sites. This brightly lit, 'smart' factory employs 80 people and is an example of the group's digital transformation, with remote management of energy consumption and improved workplace quality for employees, making it a responsible and sustainable site in line with the group's CSR commitments. This factory will also showcase Manitou Group's energy transition with the assembly of new electric models.
This new industrial facility will enable the group to respond to the structural growth of this sector in Europe as well as internationally, particularly in the United States. Sylvain Jaguelin, Vice President of the AWP Production Unit, explains: "The aerial work platform market is a key opportunity for growth for the Group. This modern factory gives us a very important and scalable production capacity that will accompany us in the long term. To support our development, our recruitment needs will be adjusted as the activity evolves".
The new Candé factory – key figures:
- September 2019: laying of the foundation stone
- November 2021: first 200 ATJ E electric platform produced
- March 2022: official opening of the new factory
- €26 million: total value of the investment
- 80,000 m²: total surface area of the land
- 18,000 m²: surface area of the industrial buildings
- 80: number of employees at the beginning of 2022
