Italian telehandler manufacturer Merlo has promoted marketing manager Paolo Peretti to managing director of its training and research company CFRM.

Peretti has all already moved into his new role, but will continue to support the Merlo marketing operation over a transition period that will run until Bauma in April 2013, when he will dedicate himself to CFRM.

The move is most surprising because of how low a profile the CFRM training company has had until now. The operation was reportedly the first Italian training company in the sector to gain certification under the government’s new rules that came into law in March - when the statute was published - but which are subject to a 12 month transition period.

The aim of the new regulations is to raise the training standards in a country where employee training to operate equipment etc… has been mandatory for many years but where accident victims are often found to have had only rudimentary instruction at best and yet are certified as trained by a myriad of small unregulated providers.

However the new rules are so far-reaching they are likely to cause a serious shortage of training capacity as thousands of small training companies and individuals fail to clear the significant hurdles and bureaucracy to gain certification.

But moving back to CFRM, the company trained 2,800 people last year and currently employs three full time trainers and also operates a franchise type system from 12 dealer locations in addition to its 50,000 square metre indoor/outdoor facility at the group’s headquarters.

Equipment covered includes telehandlers of course – the company has just won a tender to train NATO operators, Powered Access – the company is an IPAF certified training centre, mobile, tower, loader and overhead crane operation, agricultural tractor driving and excavator operation.

Certification as a training company under the new law requires the operation to meet a wide range of criteria, including being certified to ISO 9001 and having safe premises that have been certified for large scale training of the public by the local authority.

The company is also an independent component test and research operation for both the Merlo factory and for other companies.