Raimondi Cranes SpA, a heritage company established in 1863, welcomed key members of the Ontario Formwork Association at its Italian headquarters. The Canadian delegation, accompanied by official Canadian Raimondi Cranes agent, Meridion Group Inc. (Meridion), experienced hands-on demonstrations and presentations that centered on the company’s R&D progress, its client-servicing segment including bespoke detailing with extensive aftersales care, and its North American expansion plans.

“The Ontario Formwork Association annually organizes for its members to travel to various locations to promote our association, and to stay informed with respect to technological advancements in the construction sector. This year, we chose to visit Raimondi’s factory to learn about the manufacturing process, technological advancements in these tower cranes, and to operate and test the new LR213 luffing crane prototype,” explained Mark Mungo, President, Meridion. “Most importantly, I wanted our members to understand the benefits we have, thanks to the personal relationship with Raimondi’s engineering team. With projects in Canada becoming more and more challenging due to modern designs and logistics on urban sites, we were able to plan and design our tower crane configurations and internal climbing sequences directly with the factory. Secondly, I felt it was important for them to see that Raimondi incorporates state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, and to test the new LR213 which I believe is the best crane available for the residential high-rise sector here in Canada,” continued Mungo.

A tour of the facilities, yard and offices took place after presentations by key Raimondi executives, followed by an interactive question and answer session. The first presentation, a strategic business overview of the manufacturer’s current market share and future aims, was conducted by Dr. Massimiliano Volpe, Raimondi’s Deputy General Manager, followed by a detailed technological and engineering presentation by Eng. Domenico Ciano, Raimondi’s Technical Director. With a high level of engagement from the visitors during the presentations, audience questions were primarily focused on turnaround time of spare parts, aftersales support systems, and the likelihood of immediate assistance. “Part of Meridion’s strategy is to build a fleet for both rental and our own use, since we also perform formwork services to the residential and ICI sectors here in Canada. In the last year, we’ve purchased four new Raimondi cranes for our own use, serving as a trial period for our team to learn about the crane systems and maintenance. As we grow the fleet here in Canada, we’ll continue to grow our spare parts inventory and provide maintenance services to our customers,” said Mungo.

Meridion, equipped with the technical knowledge required to sell, rent, and maintain Raimondi products, was appointed as the official dealer for third party Canadian customers earlier this year. “Meridion sold two new LR213s to Ellis Don Corporation that were delivered this month, and we now feel we can provide value not just by selling a great product, but by providing great after-sales service as well. Meridion provides services to the construction sector, and as a service firm our most important asset is our people. We will continue to invest in our team, empowering them to solve complex problems for our customers on a daily basis. We have already received praise for our service level and our quality of work in our short two-year existence, and we will build on that going forward. Like in many other B2B-oriented businesses, service and reputation is paramount and we will continue to expand on our previous successes.”

Related: Two Raimondi Cranes agents ranked in top 10 UK tower crane companies