Haulotte Group has launched its first telehandler range, the Haulotte Top Lift (HTL) range, in 2007.

Haulotte Group, the French specialist in people and material lifting equipment, has sold its UK rental business to HSS Hire Services Group for an undisclosed sum.

The UK rental business, UK Platforms, contributed over EUR20 million (USD25.6 million) in sales to the group in 2012. It employs about 120 people and operates over 2,400 Haulotte aerial work platforms and telehandlers in the UK via a network of 10 branches.

Group CEO Alexandre Saubot says the transaction will have a positive impact on the 2013 first-half accounts of the group and will significantly reduce its debt and strengthen its financial capacity to pursue strategic opportunities in its core business.

"This deal should enable us to further strengthen the close relationship we have with the HSS Group for several years," Saubot adds.

The group's first-half results will be published on 4 September.

Separately, the group, whose key strategies include 'Customer Proximity' which is about selling and delivering its products and services worldwide, is exploiting opportunities in emerging markets by opening a new sales subsidiary in Mumbai, India.

"Haulotte Group is building a strong sales network in BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) nations ... in order to establish proximity relationships with customers, to provide them products (which) fit their requirements and additional services. The new sales subsidiary in India, based in Mumbai, illustrates this involvement," Saubot says.

Subsidiary manager Souma Ray adds: "Haulotte Group established a sales and service operation in Mumbai, one of the key places of this huge country with a great potential market for people and material lifting equipment. It's a major challenge for me and our team."

Haulotte's Asia Pacific director Damien Gautier says rising demand for aerial work platforms (AWPs) in BRIC nations is mainly driven by the safety standards, which will be implemented in the area. "Haulotte India is proud to be a key partner of rental companies' networks, and end -users who are involved in this key issue".

Haulotte Group's 2012 turnover was EUR355.7 million (USD454.5 million). It has seven product ranges of AWPs and one telehandler product range. It employs over 1,600 people in six plants and 20 subsidiaries in five continents.