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Gerken takes delivery of Tadano AC 4.100L-1

From left to right: Helge Prüfer (Sales Manager, Tadano), Manfred Drößer (Managing Director, Gerken), Marc Neuhausen (Crane Operator, Gerken)

Gerken Managing Director Manfred Drößer knows the extraordinary qualities behind the Tadano AC 4.100L-1 inside out. After all, he used to be a Tadano sales manager: “I myself sold this crane tons of times, so I can tell you that it’s absolutely one-of-a-kind in its class. Not to mention the perfect choice for our company, Gerken Kranvermietung & Handel GmbH,” he pointed out as a comment on his long-standing connection to the crane while talking to his former co-worker, Tadano Sales Manager Helge Prüfer, during the handover in Zweibrücken.

He then went on to mention what makes the AC 4.100L-1 so special for him: First and foremost, its two-engine configuration, which not only makes the crane stand out among the competition, but also allows for extraordinarily cost-effective operation. Then come its extremely narrow width of only 2.55 meters, which makes it the most compact crane of its class, and a 60-meter-long main boom. Not to mention, of course, the innovative IC‑1 Plus crane control system, which  determines the crane’s maximum lifting capacity for every boom position as a function of the superstructure’s slewing angle in real time. As a result, the AC 4.100L-1 is always able to take advantage of the maximum lifting capacity available to it – especially during lifts over its outriggers.

All in all, this made the crane the perfect choice for the needs of Gerken Kranvermietung, which was founded in January 2024 as a means to expand on the company’s traditional business with aerial work platforms. “Our new AC 4.100L-1 not only features exceptional lifting capacities that are ideal for lifting loads, but can also work where even the biggest aerial work platforms can’t reach. And on top of that, we can also use it for jobs in which we need to do work behind buildings – in other words, over projecting edges that make the use of aerial work platforms impossible,” explains Manfred Drößer.

The fact that the Tadano crane is the perfect machine for these jobs is something that was quickly proven beyond a shadow of a doubt during an assignment that took place a few days after the handover – for that specific job, using a man basket on the AC 4.100L-1 was the best method with the lowest risk. And that is exactly what the team at Gerken expected – after all, they are already familiar with the qualities behind Tadano machines, with HK 4.050-1 and HK 4.070-1 truck-mounted cranes already being mainstays of the Gerken fleet. Moreover, additional reinforcements are already in sight: An AC 4.080-1 will be added to the Gerken fleet as the next telescopic crane from Tadano at the start of 2025.