Merlo Industrial Group chairman and founder Amilcare Merlo has been awarded the French Republic's Knight's Cross for Agricultural Merit.

The award, presented this month at the Italian Embassy in Paris, France, recognised Merlo's achievements in telescopic handler development for agricultural applications.

Merlo, established in 1964, formed its French subsidiary in 1983, and now has 80 outlets and a comprehensive after-sales network across France. Apart from France, the company has subsidiaries and joint-venture companies in the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain, and a network of 45 importers and distributors throughout the world.

Merlo's S. Defendente di Cervasca factory produces almost 4000 machines each year, of which more than 80 percent are exported.

The company turns over EUR165 million, has a 37-model range, a fleet of more than 33,000 machines operating worldwide, and employs 600 people.

Merlo's latest product is the MultiFarmer machine, which combines a telescopic handler and a tractor.