Manitou BF of France and OmniQuip, a division of Textron, Inc have reached a distribution agreement which will see OmniQuip become the exclusive USA distributor for Manitou's three compact telehandlers: 526, 732, and 932.

K-D Manitou, Manitou's USA subsidiary, will continue to market the rest of Manitou's products through its US dealer network, including masted forklifts from 1.8 tonnes to 6.8 tonnes capacity; the Maniscopic telehandler range from 2.2 tonnes to 15.8 tonnes capacity; the MRT rotating telehandler range from 46 feet (14 metres) to 69 feet (21 metres); and the ManiTransit truck-mounted telescopic forklifts range.

"This is a great opportunity for OmniQuip and Manitou to develop the presence of the Manitou brand in the US market, representing the latest in technology and performance," said K-D Manitou president Serge Bosche.

Manitou is the world's largest manufacturer of rough terrain forklifts and telescopic handlers.