Verlinde, France’s manufacturer and exporter of lifting and handling equipment, is strengthening its international presence in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region by opening an office in Dubai, headed by sales manager, Ansheel Haneef.

The appointment of Verlinde’s MD, Pierre Eluard, has given the company a new dynamic. At the heart of the export business development strategy led by Rachid Nakhil, major export sales director for the past three years, is the desire to take the level of partnership to a higher level, in line with the Next Level PartnerShip slogan. 

The opening of the office in Dubai illustrates this approach of strengthening proximity with customers, with the long-term objective of positioning Verlinde as a key player in lifting in these buoyant but highly competitive markets.

“Our aim is to establish a dominant presence in the MEA region by gradually increasing our market share. We are determined to be at the top of this market, alongside the most successful players, and to establish ourselves as the key player in lifting in the region. I am based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which gives me a strategic advantage to effectively manage and develop our partnerships and presence,” said Haneef.

“We have a strong network of partnerships with well-established crane manufacturers in the MEA region. Their reputation and after-sales service capabilities reinforce the confidence of our customers.”

Eluard added te company is ‘actively working to improve its performance and customer relations, not least through its overseas representatives’. 

“We want to become the benchmark brand in industrial lifting for the quality of our products and the quality of service we offer our customers,” he said.

Haneef has an impressive portfolio with over 18 years of experience in the lifting industry including 14-years at Konecranes, where he spearheaded international businesses and sled the equipment business in the UAE region.“My extensive knowledge of the products and industry and my experience in various markets across the MENA region make me well-suited to make a significant contribution to my new role. I am excited to join the Verlinde team and look forward to utilizing my expertise to drive success in the region,” he said.

“Verlinde is a company that specializes in providing top-quality Industrial Lifting Equipment and Hoists for Show Business. We take pride in our unique product range, which makes us a one-stop shop for all our customers’ lifting needs. Our products are created in state-of-the-art production facilities that constantly improve and adapt to cutting-edge design techniques. We also ensure that the materials and components used to manufacture our products undergo the most stringent checks to ensure quality and safety. Our product range includes various lifting solutions such as overhead cranes, gantry cranes, jib cranes, hoists, winches, trolleys, electronic devices, load balancers, and accessories. We are in a transformative phase, led by a new managing director and a dynamic management team.

Our goal is to establish a dominant presence in the MEA region by consistently boosting our market share year after year. We are determined to rise to the top of the industry alongside the most successful players and establish ourselves as a formidable force in the market. I’m based in Dubai, UAE, which gives me a strategic advantage to effectively manage and develop our partnerships, presence and support in this market.

We have a strong network of partnerships with well-established crane manufacturers in the MEA region. Their reputation and after-sales capabilities give our customers additional confidence.

I am currently in the onboarding phase, and my first task is to establish a common goal with each of our distributors. We plan to achieve this by developing short-term and medium-term strategies. Our market analysis indicates that the Middle East and African regions will experience healthy compound annual growth rates in the coming years. We will pay close attention to these areas, particularly oil-producing countries, and emerging markets, as they are expected to perform well and our range of ATEX products, now complete, should more than meet their expectations.”