The first crane has rolled off the production line at Manitowoc's new factory in Passo Fundo, Brazil. The company said this happened some 60 days ahead of schedule, allowing the Grove RT765E-2 rough terrain crane to be shown at the M&T Expo exhibition in Sao Paulo.

Mauro Nunes, director of Manitowoc Brazil and general manager of the new factory, said the first crane to come from Passo Fundo is physical demonstration of the company's commitment to Latin America. "The new factory in Passo Fundo has been several years in the making. I'm truly excited to see this first crane come off the factory floor," he said. "Latin America represents a huge growth market for Manitowoc. We already have a waiting list for cranes being made here in Brazil."

The crane has been bought by Brazilian rental company Makro Engenharia, and will be the first machine to be delivered out of a 32 crane order comprising 16 rough terrain and 16 all terrain units. The company plans to rent the cranes for mining, petrochemical and general infrastructure projects across Latin America.

David Rodrigues, commercial director of Makro, said buying the first crane made at Passo Fundo marked a milestone in the relationship between the company and Manitowoc.

"We have been buying machines from Manitowoc for several years now. The cranes are reliable and the company has top-notch customer service through Manitowoc Crane Care," he said. "The fact that we can now buy cranes from Manitowoc that are made in our own country makes doing business with the company even more attractive."

The new factory in Passo Fundo, which was built in less than a year, represents a more than US$75 million investment in the Latin American market.