The Pontchâteau plant in Loire Atlantique in France, which produces all the Bobcat telehandlers for the world market, has just manufactured its 20,000th unit of the lifter.

Xavier Larroque, Telehandler Products manager and Laurent Gicquel, Pontchâteau plant manager, presented the keys of the 20,000th machine to roll off the production line (a new Bobcat T40180 model) to its purchaser, the Manuco dealership from the suburbs of Rouen.

“We foresee growth of around 15% in sales and 17% in turnover this year compared to 2013,” said Gicquel.

“This growth is largely due to good results from the agricultural sector, which represents some 49% of Bobcat telehandler sales.  The remaining 51% of our sales come from the rental and construction sectors and general industry.”

“Eighty per cent of our production is exported.  Apart from France, we have a strong presence in Eastern Europe, Germany and the Middle East,” Larroque added.

Currently, the Pontchâteau site produces 12 different Bobcat telehandler models, with lifting heights from 5 to 18 m.  But a new generation of machines is being introduced, continuing the trend set by the TL360 and TL470 models with Stage IIIB engines and the top-of-the-range T40140 and T40180 construction industry models launched last year. – TradeArabia News Service