Lindsay Shankland, MD of Manitou, the market leader in rough terrain handling solutions, talks to Jayne Alverca about getting a handle on the heaviest loads in the most awkward places.

It sounds like a young boy’s dream come true: asingle Manitou telescopic handler can lift, dig, load, clean, scoop, tow and carry. But these are not toys for boys. Manitou’s name may be synonymous with versatility, but its range of rough terrain handling equipment is destined for the most demanding applications that industry has to offer.

2011 is a milestone year for Fire Control Systems. Not only is it the 25-year anniversary of the company’s launch, but it also marks the maturation of significant changes in company strategy and structure. Managing director Rodney Dodkins talks to Gay Sutton about migrating from a commercial organisation to a fully fledged corporate entity.

Mozambique has emerged from the hardships of civil war to become a fast-developing economic nation. That growth is hugely dependent on electricity; and this has put pressure on national supplier Electricidade de Moçambique to expand, as Carlos Yum, director of the Corporate Performance unit and Business Development, explains to Andrew Pelis.

In 2010, Brussels saw the launch of the Viage Entertainment Center. Managing director Andrew Webb tells Andrew Pelis how the casino and entertainment venue has quickly established itself as a successful venture and benefactor to the local community.

Brussels has long been held up as a doyen for international business. While that remains the case, a recent splash of glamour has seen entertainment become en vogue with the arrival last year of the Viage Entertainment Center.

Now one of BAT Group’s most modern and strategic plants, the Heidelberg factory in South Africa has undergone a remarkable transformation over the last three years. Bernd Meyer, demand chain general manager for the Southern Africa area, talks to Gay Sutton about how he approached changing an entire company culture.

Global automotive supplier Federal Mogul Corporation today reported an increase in sales and net income for Q4 and the full year 2010.

Federal-Mogul reported Q4 2010 sales of $1.6 billion, up from $1.4 billion in Q4 2009, after growth in all business segments and all markets. OE sales grew by 20 percent in the quarter, and US aftermarket sales by 12 percent. Q4 net income was $45 million or $0.45 per share, better than most analyst estimates.

South Africa's Afripalm Resources has signed an agreement with Steel Authority of India (SAIL) to build a steel mill in South Africa, according to a report in the Business Day newspaper.

The paper said the two companies would carry out a feasibility study for a R21 billion plant with a production capacity of between three to five million tonnes of steel a year.

Under the terms of the agreement, Afripalm will also establish a distribution business for SAIL’s products in South Africa, the paper said.

Business excellence in Canada was rewarded today with the announcement of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies.

Established in 1993, Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies is the mark of excellence for Canadian-owned and managed companies with revenues over $10 million. They are not ranked in order, however.

The Best Managed program is the country’s leading business award, recognizing the efforts of the entire organization towards overall business performance and sustained growth, as well as financial performance.

Altair Engineering, a global provider of simulation technology and engineering services, today announced an expansion of its presence in Huntsville, Alabama, one of the major centres of aerospace research and development in the United States.

The new office, only a short distance from NASA's Marshall Space Center, will provide local aerospace engineers with free training courses on Altair’s HyperWorks computer-aided engineering tools, along with technical services support.

Industrial products supplier Affinia Group has relocated and expanded its west coast Global Brake & Chassis Distribution Center after continued growth in the western United States and Canada.

Distribution services have been moved from a 150,000-square-foot facility in Modesto, California to a new 390,000-square-foot facility in Patterson, California.