MANITOU Group has announced that Marcel Braud, honorary chairman and founder of the Manitou forklift truck, has passed away at the age of 93.
Serving as chairman until 2017, Manitou said Marcel Braud transformed a family business into a ‘global benchmark’ for material handling, aerial work platforms, and earthmoving equipment.
Fatherless at the age of 13, he joined the family business, BRAUD MÉCANIQUE GÉNÉRALE, at the request and by the side of his mother, Andrée Braud, following World War II. He started as a labourer, then a painter, welder, assembler, and foreman.
In 1958, he ‘imagined the improbable’ of inverting the layout of a farm tractor to add a lifting mast and power steering. The ‘Manitou’ was born.
Marcel Braud went on to hold various positions within the company, including workshop manager and purchasing manager, before becoming chairman and CEO in 1970, and subsequently chairman of the board of directors from 2007 to 2017.
Under his leadership, the group expanded beyond French borders to export worldwide, went public, continued to innovate, and built a global dealer network. Marcel Braud continued to regularly visit the group’s factories and international trade shows through early 2026 to stay in contact with customers and employees.
Jacqueline Himsworth, chairman of the board of directors of Manitou Group, said, “My brother dedicated his life to Manitou Group. Thanks to him, our small family business became an international leader, recognised for its products, values, and innovation.
“He was a passionate man who shared his energy and pride in belonging to our group with everyone. He possessed that rare genius for anticipating the needs of professionals. We are losing a visionary, but his entrepreneurial spirit continues to guide our course. Marcel-Claude Braud, Sébastien Braud, and Emilie Braud, board members of Manitou Group, join me in sharing our profound grief.”
Michel Denis, president & CEO, added, “Marcel Braud was an extraordinary man and entrepreneur. Throughout the decades spent at the head of the group, he created exceptional products, experiences, and solutions with pride and perseverance, and in doing so, contributed significantly to changing the daily lives of millions of professionals in construction, agriculture, and industry.
“It is to him that we owe the ‘big family’ culture that continues to inspire our teams around the world today. The management team and all 6,000 employees join in the grief of his family and loved ones.”
