Abu Dhabi’s NFT has celebrated of its 30 years of partnership with Potain in the region by unveiling a new-build crane storage yard and service facility in Abu Dhabi.
The vast 300,000m2 plot at Al Dhafra replaces two existing yards at Al Mafraq and Sweihan, and is now holds NFT’s entire GCC fleet: 1,800 Potain tower cranes, 500 hoists, and 35,000 spare parts.
One of the first visitors to the new facility was Larry Weyers, executive VP for tower cranes at Manitowoc, who noted: “NFT is one of the leading success stories among our Manitowoc distribution partners.
“We have enjoyed seeing it progress over the past three decades and it is fantastic to be here celebrating 30 years of cooperation.
The company works hard to deliver the latest Potain technology to its customers and is continually developing its support services. It’s great to see, and this impressive new facility will act as a great foundation for future growth.”
Since its inception in 1987, NFT has grown rapidly with Potain and today the company is the largest owner of Potain tower cranes and one of the largest tower crane distributors worldwide.
Nabil Al Zahlawi, CEO of NFT, noted: “The plot in Al-Dhafra was selected not only as the base for our UAE operations, but for our global activities too.
“The new yard strengthens our ability to serve clients, and will enable us to increase stock, maintain the quality of new equipment and recondition used cranes to near-new levels.”
Indeed, the company is also investing in sophisticated new technology at the yard, including dedicated facilities for welding, painting and electrical work as part of crane reconditioning.
The company has invested in a barcode tagging system to keep track of its parts across the storage yard, and there is a fleet of electric all-terrain vehicles to transport staff around the huge space.
In the near future, NFT also plans to move its existing headquarters and 600 employees from Al Mina, Abu Dhabi to its new facility in Al Dhafra.
NFT also maintains a network of locations in Asia, Africa and Australia, as well as Europe, where it has around 500 further cranes.
For more information on NFT, please see PMV’s recent interview with Nabil Al Zahlawi.
