European aerial rental giant Riwal announced CEO Pedro Torres will be stepping down from his position as of January 1. He will remain through a transition period until April 1, 2025, when he will leave the company.
Torres has worked for Riwal for 12 years and has been instrumental in the organizational transformation. During his tenure, Riwal became one of the 15 largest access rental companies in the world.
In March 2024, Riwal was acquired by Boels Rental. In the period following the acquisition, Torres has guided the company through changes crucial for the integration, preserving Riwal’s legacy while supporting its future growth.
“Pedro is an outstanding leader, serving the company with remarkable commitment and unwavering passion. His departure marks the end of a significant chapter in the history of Riwal,” said Pierre Boels, CEO, Boels Rental. “I am deeply appreciative of his contributions and wish him every success in his future endeavors.”
“Leading Riwal has been both a privilege and an honor,” said Torres. “I am confident that the company is in good hands now. We find ourselves in a transition period, where I’m using my expertise and leadership to stimulate the joining of forces between Boels and Riwal. After that, I will continue my professional journey elsewhere. It is with pride that I look back upon our joint achievements and my time at Riwal.”
Lars Reehorst will take over from Torres and will officially assume the position of managing director Riwal and Manlift as of January 1st, 2025. Reehorst has worked at Riwal for 10 years in multiple countries and positions and is currently leading the fast-growing Special Rental division at Boels.
Riwal, established in 1968, is headquartered in Dordrecht, Netherlands. It is an international rental and sales specialist of aerial work platforms, telehandlers and forklifts. Riwal was acquired earlier this year by Europe’s second largest rental company, Boels Rentals, headquartered in Sittard, Netherlands.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.