125 years of Ruthmann

125 years of Ruthmann | Vertikal.net
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German truck mounted lift manufacturer Ruthmann has celebrated its 125th anniversary with a dealer meeting and open day at its headquarters plant in Gescher-Hochmoor near Münster, along with sister company Versalift, both of which are owned by US based Time Manufacturing.

Ruthmann was founded in 1901 by Anton Ruthmann as a bicycle and sewing machine shop. In the 1940s the second generation took over and began making carts and trolleys, with its well-known Cargoloader hydraulic truck bed introduced in 1949. The company built its first truck mounted platform in 1954, adding a telescopic boom in 1956, with many of the early units mounted on Volkswagen Combi van chassis.

In 2001 the company unveiled the TTS 1000,

In 2001 the company unveiled the TTS 1000, the world’s first 100 metre platform at bauma. The cost of designing and building such large machines, at the same time as an economic slowdown and strong competition on smaller models from Italian manufacturers, led to serious financial difficulties, and in 2003 the business was acquired by Heinrich Winkelmann and Heinz-Jürgen Buss, who took over as joint managing directors.

In 2007, some 53 years after building its first truck mounted lift – for the city of Duisburg – it manufactured its 10,000th platform, a 22 metre TB 220 which it was auctioned on eBay, with the proceeds going to a children’s charity.

The 125th anniversary celebration was attended by dealers from 25 countries and included a factory tour, demonstrations of Versalift’s new V-Range and workshops covering hydraulic systems and vehicle technology on a 20 metre Versalift VA-200-F, along with the XPC and RTC electronic control systems.

Attendees also had the opportunity to operate some

Attendees also had the opportunity to operate some of Ruthmann’s largest platforms, including the 100 metre T 1000 HF, 90 metre T 900 HF and 75 metre T 750 HF Hybrid. A separate workshop on large platforms asked dealers for ideas and requirements for future products. Later that evening, the company held a celebratory dinner.