BVS Cranes has taken another major step forward in its European growth strategy, after securing an important contract.
The Turkish company, which has more than 40 years of experience in crane manufacture, has secured its first container cranes order for Central Europe. The contract will see BVS Cranes deliver four container cranes for inland terminals. They are specifically designed for container handling between rail and truck.
“This order marks a milestone in BVS Cranes’ transition from a global lifting equipment exporter to a recognised container crane builder trusted by major European logistics operators,” says Önder Topuz, business development and marketing manager for BVS Cranes. “It also validates the company’s deep investment in R&D, modern manufacturing, and service excellence across Europe.”
Biggest strengths
BVS Cranes believes that three of its biggest strengths helped win this prestigious contract.
- Local presence: The company operates its own fully equipped service factory in Germany. This includes electric and mechanical workshops, experienced technicians, engineers and a fleet of crane maintenance vehicles.
- Expanding network: BVS Cranes has reinforced its commitment to Europe with new sales and service centres in Duisburg and Mannheim, Germany; Salzburg, Austria; and Sisseln, Switzerland. This significant investment enables BVS to service not only its own cranes, but also offer 24/7 maintenance, repair and modernisation for all brands of cranes and lifting equipment.
- Proven track record: With cranes manufactured in three factories and sold in 93 countries across six continents. BVS has built trust through exceptional performance. Its customers are its biggest advocates – BVS Cranes can cite glowing references from heavy industries, steel mills, ports, and shipyards.
“Thanks to its strategic mix of engineering innovation, service capability, and financial transparency, BVS is positioned to become a key player in the European container crane market,” says Topuz. “This project is expected to generate interest from ports and terminals worldwide, especially those seeking reliable, customisable, and locally supported crane solutions.”
A trusted partner
This latest order further underlines the position of BVS Cranes as a trusted partner for cargo handling equipment.
The company has more than 500 employees and operates from over 100,000m2 of production space across three factories in Ankara. BVS Cranes is also the first Turkish industrial crane manufacturer to be listed on Borsa Istanbul, the Turkish Stock Exchange.
Port solutions are only a part of the comprehensive BVS Cranes product range. The company manufactures around 1,000 cranes a year, ranging from 500kg chain hoists to 600t steel mill cranes and ship loaders. The product portfolio includes overhead travelling cranes, gantry cranes, jib cranes, process cranes, specially designed hoist groups, and crane kits.
Its Ankara facilities include an R&D centre, which has doubled in size in recent years from 350m2 to 700m2 – an expansion supported by the Turkish government. The design team is comprised of more than 50 engineers and has a strong track record of innovation, demonstrated by the patents it has secured.
Thanks to the strength of its design engineering team, BVS Cranes can offer bespoke production. In fact, the container cranes destined for Europe are bespoke in design and BVS has developed them substantially beyond standard specifications.
“Every electromechanical and safety detail was tailored to meet advanced European norms, with additional features requested by the client integrated from the design phase,” says Topuz.
The cranes are designed for container handling between rail and truck. BVS Cranes says they are engineered for high speed, maximum durability, and equipped with automated functions that can be further enhanced, based on the terminal’s needs.
Topuz adds, “Assembly will be completed at BVS’ Ankara factory, including full factory acceptance testing (FAT), after which the cranes will be shipped disassembled to Europe for final installation – leveraging Turkey’s geographic and logistical proximity.”
BVS expects to deliver the first two cranes in 2025 and the final pair soon afterwards.
Service investment
At the heart of BVS’ growth strategy for Europe is its investment in local servicing capabilities.
Its Duisburg Sales & Service Centre in Germany is the flagship site, featuring a fully equipped factory with electric and mechanical workshops, a fleet of service vehicles, and a team of experienced technicians.
Building on this success, the company has also opened new sales and service centres in Mannheim, Germany; Salzburg, Austria; and Sisseln, Switzerland. They offer 24/7 support, not only for customers who have purchased BVS-branded products, but also all other brands of cranes and lifting equipment.
“This commitment to service excellence is about giving our customers complete confidence that they can rely on us for 24/7 product support,” says Topuz. “As we expected, the service business is generating crane sales for us. This new order for container cranes is a perfect example. The client first of all contracted us to service their existing cranes. Once they understand the quality of our service, they invited us to tender for the container cranes contract.”
Top priority
BVS Cranes has a broad portfolio of port products, encompassing ship loaders, mobile ship loaders, dock cranes, ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes, and rail-mounted gantry (RMG) cranes.
Its dock cranes are designed to be multipurpose, meaning they can be used with a grab for bulk loading, or a spreader beam for lifting containers. “This versatility makes them ideal for smaller ports,” says Topuz.
The company has also manufactured the largest ship loader ever produced in Turkey. Used for loading soda ash onto ships, it has a 1,500t per hour capacity.
However, container cranes remain a strategic priority. “Container cranes in particular are the most important element for us at the moment,” says Topuz. “Recently, we have been developing them for valued clients in many different parts of the world. We would invite any companies looking for container cranes to have a conversation with us about our capabilities.”
