West Bend, Wisconsin, United States, November 2025 — Manitou Group has announced the appointment of Brad Boehler as the new President of Manitou North America, strengthening its leadership bench as the company continues advancing its strategy across construction, agriculture, and industrial equipment markets. Brad expressed his excitement on taking on this role, sharing that he looks forward to leveraging his extensive leadership experience to meet evolving customer needs and reconnect with partners across the industry.
Brad joins Manitou Group after a dynamic leadership tenure at Makinex, where he has served since early 2024. As President of Makinex USA, he led operations across the Americas, covering strategic leadership, financial management, operational excellence, sales, customer relationships, and team development. His parallel role as Board Advisor further allowed him to support the organisation with strategic insights, global growth perspectives, and product innovation guidance.
Before joining Makinex, Brad spent three years as President & CEO of Morbark, LLC while simultaneously serving as Group Vice President at Alamo Group Inc. In these roles, he led large-scale industrial manufacturing operations, drove performance improvements, and shaped growth initiatives across highly competitive markets. His leadership focused on operational strategy, manufacturing excellence, and building high-performing cross-functional teams.
Brad’s most extensive leadership chapter came during his 16+ years at Skyjack, where he progressed through several senior roles, eventually serving as President for more than eight years. Under his leadership, Skyjack scaled revenue from approximately $100 million CAD to $1.25 billion CAD, delivered over $500 million CAD in cash generation, and expanded its global footprint. He oversaw engineering, product safety, marketing, global sales, and large-scale production operations while spearheading innovation and brand growth. Earlier roles such as Vice President, Engineering, Vice President Sales, Marketing and Engineering, and Director of Product Safety helped build his deep expertise across product development, safety, standards compliance, and operational transformation.
In addition to his executive roles, Brad has contributed significantly to industry development through leadership positions on multiple boards and committees. He served on the Board of Directors of Serious Labs Inc., held leadership roles across the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) including President and Chairman, and contributed to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) in roles such as Vice Chair, Membership Committee, and Board Member for the Construction Equipment Sector. His career began in engineering roles at Tigercat Industries and earlier operational positions within the Canadian Armed Forces and County Contracting of Wheatley.
About Manitou Group
Manitou Group, through its globally recognized brands Manitou and Gehl, develops, manufactures, and provides world-class equipment for handling, access platforms, and earthmoving across construction, agriculture, and industrial markets. With a robust dealer network of over 800 partners, the Group remains firmly connected to its customers while continuing to operate from its French headquarters.
The Group generated €2.7 billion in sales in 2024 and is powered by a 6,000-strong workforce committed to innovation, customer service, and product excellence. Its diverse product lineup includes telehandlers, forklifts, loaders, aerial work platforms, attachments, and comprehensive service offerings ranging from equipment maintenance to financing solutions.
Read Also : When HR “Produces Nothing”: A Response to Jennifer Sey’s Anti-HR Vision
The Fine Balance: Navigating Work, Life, and Mental Wellbeing
Mind the Leadership Gap – From Learning to Real-World Impact
How the Adecco Group is empowering its employees for the future of work
