The Manitowoc Company

The Manitowoc Company is an American industrial manufacturer whose modern business is centered on cranes and crane-related support services. Founded in 1902 in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, by Charles West and Elias Gunnell, the company initially developed as a shipbuilding and ship-repair enterprise after acquiring the Burger & Burger Shipyard and Drydock. Its early marine work established a manufacturing base that later supported expansion into other heavy industrial businesses. Manitowoc entered the lattice-boom crane business during the 1920s. The company also became an important wartime shipbuilder: during the Second World War, it built submarines for the United States Navy, in addition to earlier ferry and other marine construction work. After the war, Manitowoc diversified into commercial refrigeration and food-service equipment, creating a substantial second business alongside cranes and marine operations. The company broadened its crane portfolio through acquisitions and internal development. A key transaction was the purchase of Grove Crane from Kidde in November 2002. Grove added rough-terrain, truck-mounted, all-terrain, industrial, and carry-deck crane capabilities and became one of Manitowoc's principal mobile-crane brands. The company also operates or has operated the Manitowoc, Potain, National Crane, Shuttlelift, and Manitowoc Crane Care brands. Its equipment serves general and heavy construction, infrastructure, industrial projects, energy applications, wind farms, residential and commercial building, duty-cycle work, and crane-rental fleets. Manitowoc historically maintained three major activity areas: cranes, food-service equipment, and marine construction and repair. The marine division included shipyards in Wisconsin and Ohio and was involved in military and commercial vessel work. In 2008, Manitowoc announced the sale of that division to Fincantieri, with the transaction closing at the end of that year. The food-service business expanded through acquisitions, including SerVend International in 1997 and Enodis in 2008. That operation was separated from the crane company in a tax-free spin-off completed in March 2016 and subsequently became Welbilt, Inc. Following the 2016 separation, Manitowoc became a more focused crane manufacturer. Its current business model combines equipment design and production with aftermarket parts, field service, refurbishment, technical support, and training. Its principal product families include lattice-boom crawler cranes under the Manitowoc name; mobile telescopic cranes under Grove; tower and self-erecting tower cranes under Potain; and telescoping boom trucks under National Crane. The company sells to customers and rental businesses across international construction and infrastructure markets. Although the Manitowoc name has roots in shipbuilding and refrigeration, its present corporate identity is primarily associated with lifting equipment and crane support.

The Manitowoc Company began in 1902 in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, when Charles West and Elias Gunnell established the enterprise. Through the acquisition of the Burger & Burger Shipyard and Drydock, the business became associated with shipbuilding and ship repair and operated under the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company name. This marine foundation gave the company experience in large-scale fabrication, engineering, and industrial production. During its first decades, Manitowoc built and repaired commercial vessels, including car ferries. In the mid-1920s it entered the lattice-boom crane industry, creating the industrial product line that would eventually become the core of the company. The crane business complemented the shipyard's heavy manufacturing capabilities and allowed Manitowoc to participate in construction and infrastructure markets beyond marine work. World War II significantly expanded the company's naval role. The United States Department of the Navy contracted Manitowoc to build submarines. The company completed 28 submarines and also worked on the cancelled USS Chicolar. This wartime production demonstrated the scale of Manitowoc's manufacturing operations, although marine construction remained only one part of a broader industrial portfolio. After the war, the company diversified into commercial refrigeration and food-service equipment. That business developed into a major operating segment, producing equipment such as ice machines and refrigeration systems for restaurants and other commercial customers. Manitowoc acquired SerVend International in October 1997, adding ice and beverage systems capabilities. In 2008 it acquired Enodis, a United Kingdom-based supplier of restaurant equipment, including fryers, ovens, and ice machines. Antitrust requirements associated with the Enodis transaction led to the sale of its ice division, including Ice-O-Matic, Scotsman, Simag, and Barline, to Warburg Pincus in 2009. Manitowoc also expanded its crane business through acquisitions. In November 2002 it acquired Grove Crane from Kidde. Grove's mobile-crane products broadened Manitowoc's offering across rough-terrain, truck-mounted, all-terrain, industrial, and carry-deck applications. Other important crane brands included Potain tower cranes, National Crane boom trucks, Shuttlelift carry-deck cranes, and Manitowoc crawler cranes. The company developed a global presence by serving construction, infrastructure, energy, wind, industrial, and crane-rental customers. The company's marine activities continued alongside cranes and food-service equipment for much of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Manitowoc Marine operated shipyards in Marinette and Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and Cleveland, Ohio. Its work included commercial and military vessels; Marinette Marine built the first Freedom-class littoral combat ship and the United States Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw. In 2008 the company announced an agreement to sell the marine division to Fincantieri. The sale was completed on December 31 of that year, marking a major step away from direct shipbuilding. Manitowoc ultimately separated its food-service operations from the crane business. On March 4, 2016, it completed a tax-free, one-for-one common-share spin-off. The newly independent food-service company began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MFS on March 7, 2016, later rebranding as Welbilt and adopting the ticker WBT. The separation left The Manitowoc Company as a more concentrated crane manufacturer. Today, the company designs, manufactures, markets, and supports mobile telescopic cranes, tower cranes, lattice-boom crawler cranes, and boom trucks. Its aftermarket activities include parts, service, refurbishment, training, and technical support. The principal brands associated with its crane portfolio are Manitowoc, Grove, Potain, National Crane, Shuttlelift, and Manitowoc Crane Care. The company's historical evolution therefore runs from Wisconsin shipbuilding, through wartime naval manufacturing and postwar food-service diversification, to a focused international lifting-equipment business.

1. 2022Welbilt transaction completed

   Welbilt was acquired by the Italian Group, with Manitowoc Ice subsequently sold to Pentair as part of the transaction-related divestitures.

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2. 2016Food-service business spun off

   Manitowoc completed a tax-free one-for-one spin-off, creating a separate food-service company that later became Welbilt.

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3. 2009Food-service ice division divestiture

   The Enodis ice division, including Ice-O-Matic, Scotsman, Simag, and Barline, was sold to Warburg Pincus in response to antitrust concerns.

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4. 2008Enodis acquisition and marine-division sale

   The company acquired Enodis and announced the sale of its marine division to Fincantieri. The marine transaction closed at the end of the year.

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5. 2002Grove Crane acquisition

   Manitowoc purchased Grove Crane from Kidde, strengthening its mobile-crane portfolio.

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6. 1997SerVend acquisition

   Manitowoc acquired SerVend International, adding ice and beverage systems equipment to its food-service activities.

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7. 1940Wartime submarine production

   The company built 28 submarines for the United States Navy during the Second World War and also worked on the cancelled USS Chicolar.

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8. 1920Entry into lattice-boom cranes

   Manitowoc entered the lattice-boom crane business during the 1920s, beginning the industrial line that later became its principal business.

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9. 1902Company founded in Manitowoc, Wisconsin

   Charles West and Elias Gunnell established the company, which developed through the acquisition of the Burger & Burger Shipyard and Drydock and became associated with shipbuilding and repair.

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A global heavy-lifting equipment manufacturer positioned around engineered crane performance, reliability, application coverage, and lifecycle support for construction, infrastructure, industrial, energy, and rental customers.

• Manitowoc crawler cranesLattice-boom crawler cranes

  Manitowoc-branded crawler cranes use lattice booms and crawler undercarriages for high-capacity lifting on major construction, infrastructure, industrial, energy, and duty-cycle projects. The range is associated with heavy lifts where transport, assembly, and high-load performance are central operating requirements.

• Grove cranesMobile telescopic cranes1947

  Grove is Manitowoc's mobile-crane brand and covers rough-terrain, truck-mounted, all-terrain, industrial, and related mobile applications. Its GMK family is associated with all-terrain cranes, while the wider Grove portfolio supports construction, infrastructure, industrial, energy, and rental customers.

• Potain cranesTower cranes1928

  Potain produces tower cranes and self-erecting tower cranes for commercial, residential, infrastructure, and general construction. The brand originated in France and provides equipment intended for vertical construction sites where reach, height, lifting capacity, and efficient site deployment are important.

• National CraneTelescoping boom trucks1963

  National Crane manufactures telescoping boom trucks used in utility, construction, municipal, industrial, and service applications. The brand was founded in Nebraska in 1963; production was later consolidated at Manitowoc's Shady Grove, Pennsylvania, facility. Its articulating line was discontinued at the end of 2008.

• ShuttleliftCarry-deck cranes

  Shuttlelift is associated with compact carry-deck cranes for industrial plants, fabrication facilities, construction sites, and other applications requiring maneuverability and material handling in confined areas.

• Manitowoc Crane CareAftermarket services

  Manitowoc Crane Care represents the company's aftermarket support activities, including parts, field service, equipment renovation, technical assistance, and training. These services extend beyond the initial sale and support owners, fleet operators, and rental companies throughout the equipment lifecycle.

• 2016Spin-off of the food-service equipment businessStrategy

  Manitowoc operated both a crane business and a large food-service equipment business, making the company a diversified industrial group with different customer and operating profiles.

  What changed. The company completed a tax-free one-for-one common-share spin-off on March 4, 2016. The separated business began trading independently on March 7 and later adopted the Welbilt name.

  Aftermath. The Manitowoc Company became a standalone crane manufacturer, while the food-service operation continued as a separate public company.

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• 2009Divestiture of the Enodis ice divisionM&A

  The 2008 Enodis acquisition brought several overlapping ice-machine brands into the food-service portfolio. Competition authorities required a remedy.

  What changed. Manitowoc sold the Enodis ice division, including Ice-O-Matic, Scotsman, Simag, and Barline, to Warburg Pincus.

  Aftermath. The divestiture addressed antitrust concerns while allowing the broader Enodis food-service transaction to proceed.

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• 2008Sale of the marine division to FincantieriM&A

  Manitowoc still operated shipyards and marine businesses while its crane and food-service activities were expanding. The company proposed separating from the marine division through a sale to Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.

  What changed. Manitowoc announced the transaction in August 2008, and the sale closed on December 31, 2008.

  Aftermath. The transaction reduced Manitowoc's direct exposure to shipbuilding and marine repair and contributed to the company's longer-term concentration on cranes.

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• 2022Welbilt acquired and Manitowoc Ice divested

  Welbilt was acquired by the Italian Group, while Manitowoc Ice was sold to Pentair as part of the transaction's competition-related divestiture arrangements.

  M&A
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• 2016Manitowoc completes spin-off of food-service equipment business

  A one-for-one share separation created the standalone food-service company that later adopted the Welbilt name, leaving Manitowoc focused on cranes.

  M&A
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• 2008Manitowoc announces sale of its marine division to Fincantieri

  Manitowoc proposed the sale of its marine operations to Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri; the transaction closed on December 31, 2008.

  M&A
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• 2002Manitowoc acquires Grove Crane from Kidde

  The company purchased Grove Crane, expanding its mobile-crane portfolio with rough-terrain, truck-mounted, all-terrain, industrial, and carry-deck products.

  M&A
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1. The Manitowoc Company
2. The Manitowoc Company official website