Midway between Turin and Nice, is the Italian provincial capitol of Cuneo. It was here, in 1912, that our story was started in a blacksmith’s shop. During the 1920's and 30's, the Merlo family company prospered and diversified into sub-fabrication for local concrete and paper producers.
In 1964, son Amilcare Merlo, together with his wife and sister, moved to the nearby hamlet of Cervasca and began to produce mobile plant
The products of the new company soon included dumpers and self loading mixers. A small crane and a rough terrain forklift followed in 1970.
In 1982, Merlo saw the advantages of the telescopic handler concept and built their first handler, the SM series. Four wheel steer and four wheel drive were not so common in 1982, but we take them for granted today. Many of these first Merlo telehandlers are still in use today, testifying to their longevity.
The SM series also featured the patented Merlo sideshift mechanism and the drop portal axles still used today. A very novel feature was the parallelogram lift mechanism - designed to give a true vertical lift. As with most telehandlers of that time, driver visibility was the biggest issue, solved with the world-beating introduction of the Panoramic series!
The award winning PANORAMIC handlers originated in 1987, using for the first time the patented Merlo side mounted engine concept together with hydrostatic drive!
In 1991, Merlo once again led the world with the introduction of the ROTO series of slewing handlers. Merlo still build more of these than all other manufacturers combined, and its three build levels now include 10 models, with lift heights up to 25m.
The next quantum leap in handler design and probably Merlo’s ‘most-awarded’ product, began by winning a Silver Medal at Agritechnica 2001. The MultiFarmer has since confounded critics the world over by being both a highly successful handler and a first class tractor!
It has since won the Best New Product Award at The Royal Smithfield Show 2002, in the Self-propelled category and a stream of awards at farm shows worldwide. The latest was at the Elmore Field Days in Victoria, Australia in 2006!
The range now spans 4 models, each of 3000kg lift capacity and with a 4300kg lift three point klinkage and 100HP PTO.
The range has continued to evolve, in both farm and construction site variants, and now spans lift heights from 6 - 18m and load capacities from 2.6 - 10 tonnes
< The first PANORAMIC’s - 1987
< PANORAMIC EVS - 1993
During 2000, Merlo announced the world's first 10 tonne capacity rough terrain handler - the
P101.10K.
This chassis has become the base for a new series of heavy lift handlers with lift heights up to 18m.
< PANORAMIC P101.10K
< ROTO LAUNCH 1991
PANORAMIC ULTRA LIFT MACHINES INTRODUCED 2002-3 >
< ROTO 40.25 MCSS - 2004
< NEW HIGHLIFT PANORAMIC SERIES 2006
NEW COMPACT SERIES 2006 >
New TURBOFARMER RANGE 2005
14m and 16m ultra-highlift machines were added to the Panoramic series in 2002 and in 2003, a 17m and an 18m industrial machine joined them (the latter based upon the P101.10K).
These, like the Multifarmer, were fitted with Deutz engines, which proved very popular with users for their power, low noise level and fuel economy.
The Ultra-lighlift series have proven some of Merlo UK’s most popular products. Today’s construction sites favour higher lifts and their huge forward reach prmits loading across gardens and obstructions. With a genuine 4 tonne capacity, these Merlo machines still have the manouevrability and compactness for which Merlo products are famous.
Merlo’s design expertise shows in the booms of these products. Chain-operated extension means a very smooth operation with the minimum of lost payload. High deliverable capacity and increased operating speed mean a lot of time saved!
CFRM TRAINING & RESEARCH CENTRE OPENED 2005 >
< NEW INTEGRATED PAINT CENTRE 2006
MAJOR EXPANSION UNDERWAY 2007 >
No less than 20 new 7m and 10m Panoramic and Turbofarmer machines were added in early 2005. All are Deutz turbo-engined and the range includes four models with 140HP aftercooled engines - for a real boost!
A wholly new style cab was introduced on these machines, with more glazing and removal of cross bracing, both adding visibility. There’s also a new aircon system for hot climes! This cab became standard across all machine ranges during 2006.
The start of major investment in the factory saw its first results in 2005 with the opening of the new Centre for Training and Research.
Born from Merlo’s drive to improve safety standards in the workplace, it offers operator and technician training. It is already an IPAF certified training centre. It’s also a staging post for customer presentations and a major resource for the Research and Development Department.
Two very popular ranges saw revamps in early 2006. The high lift 11-13m range has always been one of Merlo’s best sellers and with the latest cab, new boom designs and a stylish new canopy, have become four 12-14m class machines!
Almost as popular were the P26.6 Compact series machines, and these were completely redesigned to take the new cab and Deutz engine of the smaller Panoramic/Turbofarmer 2006 models.
Fantastic performance, extremely compact (as low as 2m overall height) and sure to please both the construction and ag users!
And the factory extension carries on, with near completion of the two-storey shell on the site previously occupied by a supermarket. The public road has been dropped into a tunnel and the two parts of the factory sites joined by an enclosed bridge.
The building was completed at the end of 2006 and cab production had already started by May 2007.
< MULTIFARMER - 2001
A major upgrade to the big ROTO products was the 2004 introduction of the 25m ROTO 40.25 MCSS. Then the biggest lift ROTO in the world, it incorporated a tilting cab for good lifting visibility and the new MCSS (MERlin Continuous Slew Safety) system, compliant with EN280 and EN13000 standards. During the year, the other EVS ROTOs were upgraded to MCSS level.
The major plant investment continued with the introduction of a completely automatic shot blast and powder paint line for chassis and major components at the end of 2006.
This line loads complete welded chassis vertically and passes them through a series of cleaning , shot blasting, primer and final powder coat and bake - all without being touched by hand. A major upgrade in the painting process!
2011 saw the launch of the world’s first 10t telehandler - the P101.10K. Sporting a 140hp engine, the P101.10 has gone on to become one of a series of products based upon the same chassis.
FROM A HUMBLE START TO TODAY’S GROUP
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