The PM Group from Italy, a leader in the development of systems for lifting and working at elevated heights, will be displaying its cutting-edge range of truck-mounted cranes alongside its other products, at the Big 5 show.

Among the four biggest crane manufacturers in the world and a leader in the Italian crane market with a 20 per cent share, the group produced some 4,500 truck-mounted cranes and 1,200 aerial platforms last year.
The PM Group consists of three specialised business units: PM, which manufactures truck-mounted cranes, also known as knuckle boom cranes; oil and steel division, which produces truck-mounted aerial platforms; and Pilosio, which specialises in scaffolding and formwork, including soil containment formwork.
Established in 1959, PM claims to be the first Italian truck-mounted crane manufacturer and represents the group’s core business, accounting for 60 per cent of its turnover last year. Its product range comprises 46 series and more than 350 configurations with load capacities ranging from two to 85 tonnes and with vertical extensions that vary from 5 to 30 m.
PM’s products can be classified into four basic series:
• Classic: Simple and strong and offering value for money, the Classic crane series comes in capacities ranging from two to 36 tonnes;
• Silver: Available in capacities of 9.5 to 45 tonnes, the Silver series is equipped with connecting rods on articulated joints. The connecting rods allow for constant movement and maximum vertical movement of the booms, along with the possibility of lifting loads from a horizontal to a vertical position without having to retract the arm pack, explains a spokesman for the company;
• Gold: Ranging from 10.5 to 50 tonnes, these cranes are equipped with double connecting rods on articulated joints, a multi-function remote control, a proportional hydraulic distributor and an oil cooler. These cranes offer precise positioning, maximum manoeuvrability and swift operation, says the spokesman;
• Platinum: These top-of-the-range models are available in a capacity range extending from 35.5 up to 85 tonnes. The Platinum series is equipped with double connecting rods on articulated joints, multi-function remote control, proportional hydraulic distributor, and oil cooler plus continuous 360-degree slewing rotation.
The Gold and Platinum series come equipped with the PM Power Tronic Compact electronic moment control system, while many cranes within the Classic and Silver series also feature the system
The PM Group has seven production facilities – six in Italy and one in Romania – covering a total area of 130,000 sq m including more than 62,000 sq m of covered space. The facilities house individual research and development (R&D) departments, painting facilities, production workshops and testing areas.
The group has a culture of innovation, laying special emphasis on research and development, according to the spokesman.
Commenting on this culture, a company spokesperson says: “The PM Group has founded its corporate philosophy on continuous innovation in its products and processes. One of its main strategic qualities is its culture of innovation, which guarantees the development of avant-garde products of quality, with a high technological content.   It has invested more than €12 million ($15.4 million) in the past three years towards technological innovations, while investments in research and development represented three per cent of its consolidated turnover last year.
“Over recent years, the company has planned and implemented numerous innovative production processes, aimed both to engineer new concept products as well as to reach challenging production standards.”
The group’s warehouses, according to the spokesperson, are equipped with the latest systems, from vertical storage to wireless systems for updating the warehousing processes in real time. This guarantees that goods can be delivered in 24 hours and almost 100 per cent of the purchased orders are dispatched within five working days, the spokesman points out.
The products are backed by excellent after-sales service to customers through technical assistance during the installation process and during the warranty period, and technical training carried out through its sales partners or through the group’s own training centres.
The PM Group has a worldwide reach, with a presence in more than 100 countries. It has seven overseas sales branches (two in France, one in Spain, one in the UK, one in the US, and two in South America).