Montarent's fusion of Potain self-erecting cranes with custom undercarriages has created an exceptionally mobile and versatile lifting solution. The company's CEO, Cor Koopmans, takes us behind the scenes of this innovative partnership that is making lifting easier all over the world.
On the first day of bauma 2022, Dutch crane manufacturing, sales, and rental company Montarent placed an order for 15 new Potain self-erecting tower cranes, comprising 12 Igo MA 21 and three Igo 32 models. One year on, we caught up with CEO Cor Koopmans to find out what Montarent did with these cranes and learn more about the ongoing partnership with Potain.
Looking UP: Hi Cor. Please introduce our readers to Montarent.
Cor: Founded in 1999, Montarent is a team of 11 individuals based in the Netherlands dedicated to creating mobility solutions that make lifting with self-erecting tower cranes easier. These solutions encompass various undercarriages, including our self-propelled four-wheel drive four-wheel steering chassis, that we offer for sale or rent together with the cranes, all proudly bearing the Montalift brand. In cooperation with our international dealer network, we serve customers all around the world, ranging from owner-operators to large construction companies, helping them save time, money, and effort on their lifting jobs. No other company in the world does what we do and that is true specialism.
Looking UP: How does Montarent’s partnership with Potain work?
Cor: We take Potain cranes and incorporate them into to our undercarriages to create a new Montalift crane. When combined with our self-propelled four-wheel-drive four- wheel steering undercarriages, for example, the Potain Igo MA 21 becomes the Montalift M21-4WDS and the Potain Igo 32 becomes the Montalift M32-4WDS. Everything above the slewing ring is Potain and everything below is Montarent. We take over the CE mark from Potain and the entire unit is CE mark tested and certified by TÜV before it leaves our yard in Beverwijk, near Amsterdam.
When it comes to service support, Montarent customers benefit from our 24 years of technical expertise, as well as the vast Potain global service network. There’s also substantial overlap in the Potain and Montarent dealer networks, and we invest in training them to maintain and service our undercarriages to the highest standards.
Looking UP: How did this partnership come about and what makes it so successful?
Cor: The partnership with Potain began in 2016 when we were looking for a new tower crane manufacturer to collaborate with. A friend of mine, Wybe Smit [regional director for tower cranes at Manitowoc], suggested Potain and it was a natural fit. We are both leaders in our respective fields and we realized that by focusing on what we do best, we could create an unbeatable solution. The secret to success in our partnership has been the result of shared expertise and a commitment to excellence.
Looking UP: What are the customer benefits of choosing Montalift cranes and how do they cater to the needs of the construction industry?
Cor: What we offer is mobility and that has proved a game-changer for the construction industry, especially in housebuilding and renovation, light steel construction, and solar panel installation. Currently, around a third of our 35-strong fleet of rental cranes in the Netherlands is working on fitting solar panels.
In essence, we take high-performance self-erecting cranes from Potain and make them highly mobile so that they can be used anywhere, as well as quickly unloaded, set up, and moved around jobsites – even when fully erect. You only need one person to operate the crane and the controls are extremely simple, consisting of just two joysticks and a few buttons. This saves so much time and effort for end users.
When you don’t have to keep your crane in one spot and can easily move it around the jobsite to where you need it, you can also get away with having a smaller crane, which is cheaper. This is also an advantage considering the increasingly urban and confined nature of jobsites these days. When I was in the U.S. a few years ago, somebody complained to me that they needed a bigger crane with a longer jib to reach everywhere on their jobsite. I said they had the right crane but the wrong mobility and that’s what we aim to solve.
Looking UP: How has the partnership with Potain impacted Montarent and what does the future hold for your collaboration?
Cor: Potain’s global reputation for strength, performance, and reliability has significantly expanded our market reach. It has opened doors for us globally, and we are thrilled with the collaboration. The partnership has benefitted Potain too. While we are able to offer the best cranes in the business to our customers, our undercarriages significantly enhance the mobility and versatility of Potain tower cranes, making them the number one choice for even more end users around the world. This mutually beneficial partnership is helping both companies to grow and succeed.
Our order of 15 self-erecting cranes from Potain at bauma 2022 underscores our commitment to this partnership and our belief in the potential it holds. After adding our undercarriages, we delivered the first M32-4WDs in January this year to a customer in Denmark, who immediately ordered a second one! The rest have been delivered to customers in our homeland of the Netherlands, as well as to export customers in France, Belgium, UK, and USA. We plan to purchase additional units from Potain in 2024 and are excited about what the future holds for our collaboration. Together, we are making lifting easier all over the world!
Discover more at www.montarent.nl