French crane and hoist manufacturer Ateliers de la Chainette has made its first move abroad by taking a 51% share of its Belgian dealer Delaunoit, which now becomes ADC Benelux.
ADC export sales manager Etienne Chaperon said: “We had been working with Delaunoit for four years and they asked us for this arrangement.” ADC, part of the privately-held industrial conglomerate Groupe Fayat, exports between 100 and 200 complete cranes a year as well as about 1,000 wire rope hoists. But the establishment of ADC Benelux is the first time the company – formed as a steel workshop in 1919 – has set up its own offices outside France. Its usual strategy is to rely on local partners rather than to have its own presence. Chaperon stressed that it was not the company’s intention to seek ownership of its dealers. “It is not our strategy, but if the opportunity arose we would be interested,” he said.
