Manitou is a French manufacturer of heavy handling equipment: forklifts, telehandlers, cherry pickers and other machines. The company began in 1957, when Marcel Braud designed the first forklift truck intended for use on rough terrain, and it is still based in Ancenis, in western France.
Manitou at a glance
| Company | Manitou, French heavy equipment manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1957 |
| Founder | Marcel Braud |
| First product | a forklift truck designed for rough terrain |
| Headquarters | Ancenis, France |
| Products | forklifts, telehandlers, cherry pickers and other heavy equipment |
| Model families | MT, M, MB, MSI, Maniscopic, 4RM |
| First subsidiary abroad | Manitou UK, 1971 |
| Revenue | first exceeded €1 billion in 2007 |
| Shareholder | Yanmar bought 6.26% in 2012 |
| Acquisitions | Gi.Erre (2022) and 82% of easyLi (2022) |
There is no Wikipedia article on the individual Manitou models, so this page is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on Manitou Group. The model designations listed are those under which the marque’s machines appear on this site.
History of the Manitou
From a rough-ground forklift, 1957
The company started in France in 1957, when Marcel Braud designed the first forklift truck for use in rough terrain. That machine set the pattern for the business: not warehouse trucks for smooth concrete, but handling equipment that could work on building sites, farms and other unprepared ground. Manitou has remained headquartered in Ancenis since then.
Growth outside France
The firm expanded internationally in stages: Manitou UK was formed in 1971, Manitou Italia in 1985, Manitou BeNeLux in 1990, Manitou Portugal in 1993, Manitou Australia in 2004, Manitou Vostok in Russia in 2005 and Manitou Poland in 2007. Company revenues first exceeded €1 billion in 2007.
Recent years
Yanmar purchased 6.26% of the company in 2012. Manitou was a finalist at the European Rental Awards 2019, organised by the European Rental Association — a sign of how closely the business is tied to the plant-hire trade, which buys and rents much of its equipment. In November 2022 the company acquired Gi.Erre, a Castelfranco-based authorised service and repair business; in December 2022 it took an 82 percent stake in easyLi, a producer of lithium-ion batteries based in Chasseneuil-du-Poitou.
Design and features
- Rough-terrain origin: the company was built on a forklift made for unprepared ground, not warehouse floors.
- Wide range: forklifts, telehandlers, cherry pickers and other heavy equipment.
- French base: headquarters in Ancenis, with subsidiaries across Europe and in Australia.
- Rental-market focus: a finalist at the European Rental Awards 2019.
- Electrification: the 2022 stake in easyLi, a lithium-ion battery maker.
Manitou versions
- MT: a Manitou rough-terrain forklift designation.
- M: a Manitou forklift designation.
- MB: a Manitou model designation.
- MSI: a Manitou forklift line; the MSI 50 was offered with a Triplex mast.
- Maniscopic: a Manitou designation used for its telescopic machines, the telehandlers.
- 4RM: a Manitou all-terrain lift designation.
More machines of the marque are in the Manitou collection.
Video: Manitou MT Video
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Manitou Group, English Wikipedia: history, subsidiaries, revenue, shareholders, acquisitions