INTERNATIONAL AND SPECIALIZED TRANSPORT
■
JULY 2013
WORLD NEWS
7
On 12 June Manitowoc
Cranes filed a complaint with
the US International Trade
Commission (ITC) requesting
a Section 337 investigation into
cranes produced by Sany Heavy
Industry and its subsidiary
Sany America, writes D.Ann
Shiffler, editor of
IC
sister
magazine
American Cranes &
Transport
.
A Section 337 investigation
pertains to intellectual property
rights. The complaint alleges
that Sany Heavy Industry
Co, Ltd Of China and Sany
America, Inc, of Peachtree
City, Georgia, “unlawfully
import into the US, sell for
importation, and/or sell within
the US after importation
certain crawler cranes and
components thereof that
infringe on one or more claims
of US Patents Nos. 7,546,928
(the ‘928 patent) and 7,967,158
(the ‘158 patent) and that were
designed and manufactured
using Manitowoc Cranes’
misappropriated trade secrets,”
according to the ITC 337 Law
Blog and the Association of
Corporate Council Lexology
web site.
Manitowoc is accusing Sany
of using its technologies and
patents that are trade secrets
in the realm of crawler crane
technology. The trade secrets
at issue cover Manitowoc’s
variable position counterweight
system used on the Manitowoc
Model 31000.
The complaint refers to the
Sany SCC8500 model, the use
of patents and trade secrets
also refer to John Lanning, a
former Manitowoc employee
who now designs cranes for
Sany. Manitowoc requested
that the ITC issue permanent
exclusion and orders on Sany
to destroy all crawler cranes
and related moulds and tooling.
The complaint also requests
that Sany releases documents
relating to the trade secrets.
Sany issued a statement,
“Sany is proud of its industry-
leading crane designs and the
heavy equipment products and
solutions we provide for our
Manitowoc files complaint
against Sany
HIGHLIGHTS
■
Wagenborg Nedlift in the
Netherlands has taken delivery
of a new 750 tonne capacity
Liebherr LR 1750 crawler
crane. The crawler has a
main boom, luffing jib and
derrick mast and can be
configured with a super lift
counterweight carrier. It will
join Wagenborg Nedlift’s
fleet, which includes more
than 150 cranes up to 750
tonnes capacity. The crawler
will be used for projects in
the power industry, including
on petrochemical sites and
offshore wind power.
■
USA-based lifting and
rigging service provider
Delta Rigging & Tools Inc has
acquired Morgan City Rentals,
a provider of offshore rental
equipment and rigging supply
in the Gulf of Mexico. Morgan
City Rentals is headquartered
in Morgan City, Louisiana. The
company provides offshore
rental equipment and load
testing to the offshore oil and
gas industry. Delta Rigging &
Tools operates in Broussard
and Houma. Mitch Hausman,
president and CEO of Delta
Rigging & Tools, said, “Once
we began discussions, it was
clear that combining with
a growing operation like
Morgan City Rentals was the
best strategic move for both
companies and the best way to
serve our existing and
new customers with expanded
rigging and rental services.”
customers. The Sany SCC8500
crawler crane was developed
from start to finish by Sany
engineers, using our own
ideas and our own
technological innovations. We
categorically reject the claims
made by Manitowoc and stand
fully behind our market-
leading products.
Sany will respond actively
to this legal action through
appropriate legal measures to
protect our own intellectual
property. We will continue to
bring innovations to market,
and offer choices for our
customers in North America
and around the world.”
Manitowoc declined to
make a comment at the time of
Terex lowers profit forecast
Terex has lowered its profit
forecasts for the year following
a softening in demand at
its Construction, Material
Handling & Port Solutions
(MHPS) and, to a lesser extent,
Cranes divisions.
Earnings per share are now
expected to be in the US$1.90
to $2.10 range compared
to the previous $2.40 to
$2.70 guidance.
Terex said it did not see
the softening as evidence of a
protracted slowdown, and it
reported continued positive
replacement demand for Aerial
Work Platform products and
a solid performance for the
Materials Processing segment.
The sales at these divisions will
not offset the softening at the
other businesses.
“The level of sales growth
has softened overall for
Terex when compared with
the increases we originally
anticipated for 2013,” said Ron
DeFeo, Terex chairman
and CEO.
“Fundamentally, North
America continues to improve”,
continued DeFeo, “but now at
a slower pace, while Europe
remains challenging overall,
and the markets in the rest of
the world are mixed.
“We remain generally
on track with the operating
changes underway, including
the cost reduction initiatives
in our MHPS and Cranes
businesses, as well as
the divestiture of under-
performing businesses in
our Construction segment.
We continue to expect that
the second half of 2013 will
show improved results when
compared with 2012”, Ron
DeFeo continued.
