Manitowoc has opened a new factory in Passo Fundo, Brazil, a city in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is Manitowoc’s first crane factory in Latin America and will initially supply Grove rough-terrain cranes.
“The Brazilian crane market is one of the fastest growing in the world and Manitowoc has a long history both here and throughout Latin America,” said Larry Weyers, executive vice president for Manitowoc in the Americas. “Over the past five years we have expanded our sales and Manitowoc Crane Care operations to ensure we have the best infrastructure to serve our customers. Now with this Passo Fundo factory, we can give them locally manufactured cranes.”
Manufacturing will begin in mid-April and deliveries from the factory will begin in mid-June. The design of the factory is tailored to local manufacturing methods and materials, but also incorporates best practices from Manitowoc’s other Grove production sites in Shady Grove, Pa., and Niella Tanaro, Italy.
Initially, the cranes produced at Passo Fundo will be comprised of 30 percent locally sourced components and 70 percent imported from the United States. Manitowoc said, however, that its goal is to reverse the ratio within three years. Currently, there are 55 staff members employed full time at the facility.
