The Manitou Group will launch the MI range of industrial forklifts outside France this year. The same forklifts will be introduced in France in 2013. Assembled in China, the 12 new models will complete Manitou's collection of materials handling equipment, currently consisting of warehouse equipment, semi-industrial masted forklifts, truck-mounted forklifts and aerial work platforms. "Nowadays, customers expect more than just a machine. This is why we are offering a materials handling solution tailored to the constraints of our clients in terms of production and logistics," says Henri Brisse, vice president of sales and marketing. "We intend to address a particular client request that can also be broken down into various further demands, like the level of commitment, the complex environment, the tracking of the fleet, and many different needs. The Manitou group is striving to position itself as a real player in the field of industrial materials handling," he explains. Jean-Louis Hervieu, president of the industrial materials handling (IMH) division, adds: "This new range of industrial trucks serves as the foundation to our development. The correct positioning of MI products enables us to combine this with an array of services such as maintenance, financing, short-term rental and fleet management, which are extremely important in this competitive market." Manitou has over 40 years of expertise in the industrial materials handling market with the supply of Toyota products in France. The group and Toyota announced the end of their distribution partnership last month (Forkliftaction.com News #550). The IMH division achieved a turnover of EUR147 million (USD193 million) in 2011, an increase of 19% compared with 2010 figures. On 31 December 2011, it employed 300 people. Headquartered in Ancenis, France, Manitou designs, assembles and distributes materials handling solutions for agriculture, construction and industry markets. Manitou reported 2011 revenue of EUR1.131 billion (USD1.484 billion), of which two-thirds came from outside France.