In 1928 in La Clayette, France, the company Potain was established. Since then, Potain has been the global leader in tower crane production. They are responsible for more than 100,000 cranes installed and sold all over the globe. Currently, the company manufacturers over 60 models from various production plants inside France, China, Germany, Italy and Portugal. The company represents numerous different product ranges designed for various applications. These machines are sold through a global Manitowoc dealer network.
The family of Potain cranes are divided into different tower crane families. The smallest cranes produced by Potain are the self-erecting cranes. These cranes vary from 1 ton to 7.98 ton capacity. The next size up is the top-slewing cranes which are both larger and higher. These cranes range from 7.98 to 64 tons. Additionally, these are the biggest special application cranes that are custom-designed. These models offer a reach capacity of one hundred sixty tons.
Some of the main innovations with the company consist of the LLC series of hoists, the Vision Cab and the Dialog control system. The company's growing reputation has expanded their appeal with different models. Potain cranes are usually found on conventional construction sites, bridge building projects, power stations, ship-building projects and shipbuilding yards.
Two of Manitowac's biggest facilities are based within the US. Their manufacturing facility is based within the state of Wisconsin. In this state, both crawler cranes and the tower crane parts are made in the state of Pennsylvania in the Shady Grove plant. Here mobile cranes and boom trucks are manufactured. Regional offices are situated in Brazil and in Mexico. Moreover, the extensive dealer network found all around Canada and the United States offers support and coverage unrivalled by any other crane producer.
Manitowoc has dominated the lifting market in North America for over 50 years. They have built their solid reputation with a combination of outstanding support and service and quality products. The well-known names of Grove, National Crane and Manitowoc have been leading members of their market sectors within the United States, Canada and South and Latin America.