Manitou Founder Marcel Braud Dies at 93

Manitou Group announced the death of Marcel Braud, honorary chairman and founder of the Manitou forklift truck. Braud died Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at the age of 93.

Braud was driven by a passion for innovation, industry, dealers network and the group's products — serving as chairman until 2017. Braud transformed a family business into a global benchmark for material handling, aerial work platforms, and earthmoving equipment.

Braud, who lost his father at the age of 13, joined the family business, Braud Mécanique Générale, at the request and by the side of his mother, Andrée Braud, following World War II. Starting as a laborer, then a painter, welder, assembler, and foreman, Marcel Braud held and mastered every production role within the company. In 1958, he imagined the improbable: inverting the layout of a farm tractor to add a lifting mast and power steering. The "Manitou" was born. This simple yet revolutionary idea would travel the globe, transforming construction sites, farms and industrial markets forever.

Braud went on to hold various positions within the company, notably workshop manager and purchasing manager, before becoming chairman and CEO in 1970, and subsequently chairman of the board of directors from 2007 to 2017.

Worldwide expansion

Under his leadership, the group, which eventually became known as the Manitou Group, expanded beyond French borders to export worldwide, went public, continued to innovate relentlessly, and built a robust dealer network that, now more than ever, represents the company’s core strength. An insatiable man of the field, he continued to regularly visit the group's factories and international trade shows through early 2026 to stay in contact with customers and employees. 

Jacqueline Himsworth, Braud’s sister and chair of the board of directors of Manitou Group, said: "My brother dedicated his life to Manitou Group. Thanks to him, our small family business became an international leader, recognized for its products, values, and innovation. He was a passionate man who shared his energy and pride in belonging to our group with everyone. He possessed that rare genius for anticipating the needs of professionals. We are losing a visionary, but his entrepreneurial spirit continues to guide our course. Marcel-Claude Braud, Sébastien Braud, and Emilie Braud, Board members of Manitou Group, join me in sharing our profound grief."

"Marcel Braud was an extraordinary man and entrepreneur,” president and CEO Michel Denis added. “Throughout the decades spent at the head of the group, he created exceptional products, experiences, and solutions with pride and perseverance, and in doing so, contributed significantly to changing the daily lives of millions of professionals in construction, agriculture, and industry. It is to him that we owe the 'big family' culture that continues to inspire our teams around the world today. The management team and all 6,000 employees join in the grief of his family and loved ones."