RENTAL companies and contractors in Turkey have recently added almost 30 new Grove all-terrain and rough-terrain cranes to their fleets, against a backdrop of a booming construction industry that is fuelling demand for these versatile and innovative cranes, says Manitowoc Cranes, which owns the brand.

The cranes, sold by Manitowoc’s Turkish dealer Karun, span a variety of models, including the GMK4100L, GMK6300L, GMK5220, GMK5170, GMK5100, GMK4100 and RT765E-2.

Ersan Oztuna, who co-founded Karun with Murat Molva in 1989, says that Grove’s reputation for innovation and quality has helped Karun secure a strong market-leading position in Turkey. “There is high demand for cranes that can handle a huge variety of work efficiently, so features that make cranes easier to use and quick to set up are a priority,” Öztuna says. “Grove is highly regarded in Turkey as a leader in crane innovation and we now enjoy a substantial market share.”

“With several giant projects scheduled to get under way over the coming year, we expect sales to continue at a very strong rate,” adds Molva.

The vast majority of the cranes are all-terrain cranes in the 100- to 300-tonne capacity class, most of which have been sold since January. All but three of the cranes were sold to rental companies, and are serving a wide variety of infrastructure and general construction projects throughout Turkey.

Some of the largest construction projects in Turkey are breaking ground in 2014 including the new Istanbul airport, a third bridge over the Bosphorus Strait, several highway and high-speed rail projects, plus numerous large-scale residential complexes.

Karun and Manitowoc celebrated the successes of the past year at Komatek 2013, the international construction equipment trade fair held from May 29 to June 2 in Ankara, where Karun displayed a 300-tonne capacity GMK6300L on its stand.

Potain

Meanwhile, another key Manitowoc brand Potain marked the launch of its MCT 178 tower crane at Komatek 2013. The eight-tonne capacity crane offers improved transport, fast assembly and an impressive load chart, making it suited to the growing number of high-rise construction and infrastructure projects in Turkey.

Tekno Insaat Makinalari, the local Manitowoc crawler crane and Potain tower crane dealer, has ordered 25 MCT 178s for its rental fleet with an additional three units already sold to Turkish construction companies.

“The MCT 178 is a highly versatile and productive crane that meets the needs of many large-scale construction projects currently under way or soon to begin in Turkey,” says Sinan Türeyen, group director of Tekno. “Our customers have already praised the crane’s design, which makes it easier to erect and transport. We are delighted with its early success and expect its popularity to grow over the coming months.”

Tekno’s first MCT 178 in the field will operate a high-rise construction project in central Istanbul where it will work at a height of approximately 200 m. The crane was chosen for the job for its 60-m jib and impressive load chart.

Modelled on the successful Potain MDT 178 crane, the MCT 178 uses Potain’s L-type mast, which is available in 1.6-m or 2-m sections. Both sizes can be used in the same mast configuration to offer better flexibility on site and to reduce costs.

Founded in 1902, the Manitowoc Company is a multi-industry, capital goods manufacturer with more than 115 manufacturing, distribution, and service facilities in 26 countries.

The company is recognised globally as one of the premier innovators and providers of crawler cranes, tower cranes, and mobile cranes for the heavy construction industry, which are complemented by a slate of industry-leading product support services.