Manitowoc, Caterpillar and Other Manufacturers Suspend Shipments to Russia
Crane manufacturer The Manitowoc Co. announced earlier this month that it has been curtailing its operations in Russia since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine and stopped taking new crane orders. Manitowoc has about 20 local employees and sales to Russia comprised less than 2 percent of total sales in 2021.
“While doing our best to support our local team members, we have and will continue to comply with all sanctions and conduct our business in accordance with all applicable laws,” said Aaron Ravenscroft, president and CEO of Manitowoc. “The safety and well-being of our employees and their families are our top priorities.”
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, numerous manufacturers have pulled their business out of Russia following strict western sanctions against the country. Deere & Co., for example, halted shipments to Russia and Belarus. Deere has had a presence in Russia since 1973 with a manufacturing and parts distribution facility in Moscow.
Also, Caterpillar stopped operations in its manufacturing facilities in Russia. “Operations in Russia have become increasingly challenging including supply chain disruptions and sanctions, and we are suspending operations in our Russian manufacturing facilities,” the company said last month. The Caterpillar Foundation is donating more than $1 million to support the urgent and long-term needs of the Ukraine humanitarian crisis.
Metso Outotec has halted all shipments to Russia. Finnish aerial equipment manufacturer Dinolift said it is suspending all shipments to Russia and Belarus. JCB suspended all operations, including exports of machines and spare parts to Russia. And Komatsu suspended all shipments to Russia.
Other manufacturers have supported the international sanctions and suspended operations in Russia and Belarus.
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.