Palfinger, best known in the UK for its truck-mounted cranes, has bought Ratcliff Tail Lifts from the Ratcliff Group, according to CV Transport News Brief.
Austrian-based Palfinger sells its products worldwide, employs 3,000 people and is roughly 10 times the size of Ratcliff.
Palfinger's managing director Herbert Ortner says he expects savings from bulk-buying and is keen to develop Ratcliff's reputation. In the UK, which is Europe's biggest market for tail-lifts, Ratcliff Tail Lifts will trade as Ratcliff Palfinger, It will use the same name in the rest of Europe too.
The deal excludes other Ratcliff Group businesses, Wessex Welfare Lifts and Planet Bottling Plant.