A firm link between Italy and France
The French branch of Multitel Pagliero S.p.A. was established in 1989 with a clear goal: to provide a direct presence in the country in response to the growing demand by major local aerial platform rental businesses that were keen to work closely with our parent company. A choice that proved successful, as the company president Renzo Pagliero explains:
“The French market was really surging in that moment. We wanted to be there in person, to offer trust, technical assistance and a widespread sales network”.
The company, called Multitel International SASU, is situated in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, close to Lyon – a strategic location in the heart of the French industrial landscape. The current site, inaugurated in 1999, has a sizable display area, a fully-equipped workshop, sales offices and back offices for customer reception and operational and administrative management.
A solid team for the French market
The branch’s structured workforce currently consists of:
- 5 salespeople who cover all of France, split between direct employees and an agent
- 2 people in the back office
- 8 specialised technicians, led by a workshop manager with over 20 years’ experience
- rapid intervention logistics, even on construction sites, thanks to fully furnished mobile workshop vans
- occasional assistance from Italian technicians to help with more complicated interventions
One of Multitel France’s flagship services, the after-sales care is praised for its speed, quality and technical know-how. The Modula automatic storage system, extensive and well-stocked, ensures that spare parts are shipped within 24 hours, avoiding downtime and transit via Manta 1.
A challenging yet highly rewarding market
The lighter truck-mounted platforms, especially the real best seller, the 160 ALU model, have found plenty of space in the mature and competitive French market. While platforms of over 30 metres have a market comparable to that of Italy and Germany and are frequently hired with an operator, articulated models have also been requested throughout the years, albeit in smaller quantities.
Renzo Pagliero, President & CEO di Multitel Pagliero S.p.a
Renzo Pagliero emphasises:
“It’s not an easy market for us. Our product has a high quality positioning and therefore also comes at a higher price than many of its competitors. But we win in terms of reliability, service and speed in spare parts”.
While the Export Sales Department of the Manta headquarters directly deals with the major players in the industry (such as Loxam or Kiloutou), the French branch works closely with small and medium-sized rental firms and end users. In France, Multitel is a first-level commercial assistance and support centre that handles the sale, distribution, and even registration of platforms sold on the French market; it does not oversee manufacturing operations, which are handled at the Manta headquarters.
Sustainability and centralised support
Sustainability is another area where Multitel France is developing: hybrid models are becoming more popular, whereas full electric ones are expanding more slowly due to the still inadequate infrastructure. The branch also supplies municipalities and public contractors, which are often interested in long-term rental formulas.
In recent years, administrative management has been streamlined and centralised at the Manta headquarters, where the department concerned has added 5 new multilingual staff.
A bond built up over time
Renzo Pagliero lists both personal and professional accomplishments as among his most noteworthy:
“In more than thirty years of activity, I have built up real, authentic human relationships. Some of our customers have become friends and with others I have achieved a familiarity that extends outside of work. It makes me smile when I remember the French formality of my early years: I always had to shake a lot of hands and occasionally even give everyone a kiss!”
The branch regularly participates in the main trade fairs in France and often invites customers to visit the production plants in Italy, thanks to the logistical proximity between the two countries.
Multitel France:
reliability and European
With over 30 years of experience, Multitel France is a solid and dynamic presence for the entire transalpine market. With an advanced technical assistance model, integrated logistics, and a continuously expanding sales network, this company brings the value of Multitel truck-mounted platforms to the heart of Europe by fusing technology, expertise, and human interactions.
