Socage and Cela going forward

The new owners of Cela and Socage chose to announce their plans for the companies at the SAIE exhibition at the end of October.

Having bought Italian truck mount and spider manufacturer Cela earlier in the year and Socage, the large truck mount company from Fassi , in September, the management group headed up by Paolo Troni, Fiorenzo Flisi and Maurizio Piantoni launched a new image for the companies and announced its intentions for future.

The new company, which has yet to finalise a name but has the working title "First Steps," plans to run Cela and Socage under their existing names and as two distinct companies but also to take advantage of the synergy between the product ranges.

The products of both companies have been fully reviewed to optimise the combinations of machines. The next release of new products will be distinguished by the name "third series". Mr Troni said, There are lots of new projects coming up - expect new machines for Bauma."

Tantalisingly, when asked about the promised 105 m truck mount from Socage Mr Troni said, "it is more than a project."

At SAIE the company was demonstrating a new "exceptionally smooth" electronic control which the company plans to run out across the industrial range particularly on the big machines. Currently it is only installed on the Cela fire fighting equipment so customers were invited to try it out on one of the big appliances.

The Cela and Socage ranges will be marketed through two distinct sales organisations each working on a specific range of products. Distributors will also remain separate even outside Italy.

Distribution has been fully reviewed and revised as the new company felt that in the past the two companies had a commercial "Achilles heel" and there were problems in failing to support equipment adequately.

Mr Piantoni said that manufacturing would continue in all the factories and, in fact rather than making lay-offs they were planning to add more staff.

In the first year double digit growth is anticipated in turnover with gradual, more consistent, sustainable growth expecting in subsequent years.

The company would neither confirm nor deny the possibility of adding further companies to its offering.