15
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014
ACCESS, LIFT & HANDLERS
E
stablished more than 35 years ago
by Jean-Yves Drolet, Manulift EMI
has nearly always been a telehandler
powerhouse. The Canadian rental company
says it is responsible for 60 percent of market
share for sales of new units in Eastern Canada
and with its 150 employees nationwide, it looks
to grow its footprint 10 percent each year.
The company has been ranked in the top 15
of
Access, Lift & Handlers
’
TELEHANDLER
30
toplist since it joined in 2011; growing from
325 units that year to 456 in 2013.
“We can quantify the gains by type of job,
and our product offers exclusive benefits to
customers,” says Martin Drolet, president of
Manulift EMI.
Drolet has many plans for Manulift in the
coming years, including territory expansion and
stepping foot into new markets. He follows the
Telehandler specialist
footsteps of his father, Jean-Yves Drolet, who
created the company.
History
It was the elder Drolet (Jean-Yves) who had the
dream and ambition to found Manulift in the
‘70s with a fleet of SkyTrak telehandlers at his
disposal. According to the company, 10 years
after launching, Manulift was one of the most
successful SkyTrak distributors, selling nearly
100 units each year.
Toward the end of the ‘90’s, Jean-Yves
Drolet’s son (Martin) became a shareholder
and with that, brought brought a new dynamic
vision to the company.
“His first realization was to diversify
the operations by launching a new rental
department,” says Judith Lefebvre, Manulift’s
national marketing manager. “The fleet went
from 15 units to 150, including some Snorkel
boom lifts.”
In 2004, after several years of negotiation,
Manulift became the Canadian distributor
for Italy-based Merlo. “These innovative
telehandlers of high quality and high
productivity were immediately successful with
the entire Manulift territory,” Lefebvre says.
To date, Merlo has delivered more than 4,000
units to Manulift, making it the largest Merlo
distributor outside of Europe.
Plans and parts
The rental company has achieved such
INTERVIEW
numbers by a nationwide expansion plan which
included opening a network of dealers to serve
areas that had been barren. The company
has four locations for direct sales and dealer
assistance (Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto and
Calgary) and as of
ALH
’s print deadline, had
just added a new branch in Alberta.
“We have plans for Vancouver,” Martin Drolet
says. “But the next step is the relocation and
expansion of our headquarters in Quebec City.”
The company bought 600,000 square feet
of land just west of its headquarter location in
Quebec City and plans to build a brand new
facility this year. Manulift also wants to move
its Toronto branch as well as double the size of
its Montreal facility.
All of Manulift's expansion is in part
to telehandler sales, but also is a nod to
Manulift’s dedication to repair and parts. The
company has C$3 million in parts at its repair
facilities. “We offer the best of both worlds:
the volume of units and parts of a reputed
heavy equipment dealer, but we are focused
on one product. This means lots of knowledge,
support, inventory and parts support.”
Partners
Manulift’s business largely depends on SkyTrak
and Merlo telehandlers, calling the workhorse
OEMs behind the brands, “strong partners.”
Manulift carried SkyTrak since its opening.
“Although SkyTrak went through various
ownership changes and components
modifications… it is the best telehandler made
in North America,” says Martin Drolet. “The
SkyTrak brand offers honest productivity assets
but most important, it has good design and
mechanics.”
To complete the telehandler segment and
reach other markets that are sometimes more
occupied by traditional wheels loaders, tractor,
boom trucks or cranes, Manulift looked into
Italian telehandler specialist Merlo.
“Merlo had a strong objective: become a
specialist in telehandlers and the best in the
field,” Martin Drolet says. “Merlo is not an
assembly line but an integrated producer. By
manufacturing 90 percent of its components,
the highest levels of quality are met.”
■
Manulift’s headquarters in Quebec City.
Manulift’s repair division has access to more
than C$3 million in parts.
Lindsey Anderson
visited Montreal-based
Manulift in late 2013 to
talk to the company about
its successes and vision.
