Colmar: manufactured in Italy, trusted worldwide

Colmar began in the Veneto region of Italy shortly after World War II with one man's vision to use parts leftover from U.S. Army vehicles to build tractors for the agricultural industry. Shortly afterward, Colmar added a line of cranes to its agricultural equipment line. Turning its attention toward manufacturing more sophisticated cranes, Colmar soon left agricultural applications behind, focusing instead on the scrap metal recycling segment of the heavy equipment industry.

In 1975, the company added a line of railroad cranes to its equipment offering. In time, as the company's reputation for manufacturing reliable and efficient equipment spread, Colmar's bright yellow machines captured 80 percent of the Italian market and a substantial share of the European market, particularly in the United Kingdom and France

Leadership changes at Colmar in the 1990s lead the company into new markets. Dr. Carlo Bortoletti, Colmar's new president, wanted to expand the company's reach and its array of products. He chose to add scrap metal balers to the Colmar line up, a natural fit for the yards that already used Colmar's cranes.

CEO Julian G. Marceglia says Colmar thought its new shear/balers could grow to be the largest portion of the company's business. Indeed, shear/balers have accounted for 60 percent to 70 percent of Colmar's sales in the last seven years.

Colmar was not only expanding its line of products, the company was also growing its international reach. In response to the new demand from markets outside Italy, Colmar started to build a new production facility next to its old one in the Veneto region in 1999. By the end of 2003, Colmar had already doubled its production capacity in response to growing demand in America, the former Soviet Republics and Japan, Marceglia says.

Baler/Loggers

Colmar had to make a few changes to its established designs to accommodate the needs of the American market. For instance, Colmar's 5260 baler is a best seller worldwide, but its 16-1/2-foot charge box is smaller than that preferred by many U.S. scrap yards. Marceglia says, "We realized that, particularly in the south, the American cars required a bigger box." In response to America's larger scrapped vehicles, Colmar created the 5.5260 baler, which features an 18-foot charge box. Colmar's balers also offer automatic cycling and remote-control operation.