(L-R) Laurent Gicquel, Pontchâteau plant manager; Mickael Coutard and Michel Coutard of Manuco; Benoit Pion, Bobcat district manager, Northern France; and Xavier Larroque, product manager, Bobcat.

The Bobcat plant in Pontchâteau, Loire Atlantique in France has manufactured its 20,000th Bobcat telehandler.

Product manager Xavier Larroque and plant manager Laurent Gicquel presented the keys of the 20,000th machine, a Bobcat T40180, to its buyer, the Manuco dealership from the suburbs of Rouen, at a ceremony attended by the plant's 200-strong workforce.

Gicquel says: "We foresee growth of around 15% in sales and 17% in turnover this year compared to 2013.

"This growth is largely due to good results from the agricultural sector, which represents some 49% of Bobcat telehandler sales. The remaining 51% of our sales come from the rental and construction sectors and general industry."

Investment is planned for the Pontchâteau site in 2014 to boost production and exploit demand for the French-made telehandlers. The plant produces all the Bobcat telehandlers for the world market, and telehandler design, development, production and sales organisations are also based there.

Larroque says that 80% of the plant's production is exported. "Apart from France, we have a strong presence in Eastern Europe, Germany and the Middle East."

The Pontchâteau site produces 12 different Bobcat telehandler models, with lifting heights from 5 to 18 m (16 to 66 ft.). A new generation of machines is being introduced, continuing the trend set by the TL360 and TL470 models with Stage IIIB engines and the T40140 and T40180 construction industry models launched last year.

Since Bobcat acquired Pontchâteau from Sambron, the plant has gone on to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2013 (Forkliftaction.com News #626).