The company is targeting a bigger share of the French articulated hauler market, and has recently signed three new dealers in the country - Promatex International, Framateq Sud-Est and Manu-Lorraine. Between them the new dealers cover the north, north east, and south of the country.
“We’ve identified the key territories we want to cover, and we’re thrilled to add three reputable French dealers to our growing network,” says Terex Trucks MD Paul Douglas. “We are currently expanding our operations in France and plan to sign more dealers in the near future.”
Terex Trucks offers two articulated haulers in France: the 28 tonne TA300 and the 38 tonne TA400, which is the biggest hauler in the company's range. The machines are typically used on large-scale construction projects as well as in quarries and on infrastructure developments.
Growth in the French construction market has been stunted in recent years due to a variety of macroeconomic factors, but Terex says the landscape has now stabilised and forecasts are positive. CISMA – the Paris-based trade association for companies in the construction, infrastructure, steel and handling industries – predicts that 2018 will see a 3% increase in the construction and maintenance of French roads, as well as a 3.5% increase in the country’s aggregates production. According to The European Commission, the French construction sector as a whole will grow by 2.9% in 2019.
Europe’s biggest construction project for public transportation, The Grand Paris Express, is already underway in France. A total of 200km of new metro lines will be built between now and 2030, the majority of which will be underground. In addition 68 new stations are being built, which will be interconnected with existing transport networks. EuropaCity is another major project, which has an estimated price tag of around €3billion. Located north of Paris and spanning 80 hectares, the development will house numerous amusement parks, a waterpark, restaurants, hotels, indoor ski slopes and commercial offices.
“With so many big projects in the pipeline, France is a key market for Terex Trucks,” Douglas says. “Historically, France has been one of the industry’s strongest articulated hauler markets, with around 300 machines sold in a good year. However, due to the geopolitical climate, volumes have dropped over the last couple of years to about 140 units. But now we are starting to see the demand for articulated haulers pick up again, with a total of 60 machines (across all brands) sold in France in the first quarter.”
