HERIPRET, our partner portrait

HERIPRET 44 years ago became a specialist in the manufacture and maintenance of overhead cranes for overhead handling of loads from 125 kg to 120 tonnes and spans of up to 35 meters. Set up in 1977 in Wingles in the Hauts-de-France region by Mr Heripret, the specialty of the company of the same name turned to the maintenance of lifting devices, overhead cranes and hoists. It operates in a building of over 5,500m² and integrates a production facility. Mr. MAITREPIERRE, the current CEO, joined the team in 1992, with the mission of developing the services of crane maintenance and upgrading. A second agency was opened in Valenciennes in 1993, then a third in Calais in 1996 followed by a fourth in Abbeville in 1999. M. MAITREPIERRE acquired the company in 2006 when its founder retired.

HERIPRET’s workforce is now 90 and more than 3000 of their devices are in service. Their expertise is acknowledged beyond the North of France with HERIPRET installation operations on sites throughout the country. Their experience as well as their technical resources allow the company to offer reliable aerial handling solutions aligned to the various needs of customers in all industries. HERIPRET has been a member of the Verlinde after-sales service and EUROPONT networks since they were set up.

Interview with Mr. Daniel Maitrepierre, Heripret CEO

Tell us about your business.

Specialized in aerial handling by swivel hook, our business activity is based on production, maintenance and other services.
We manufacture overhead cranes from VERLINDE components. Our catalogue presents the most complete range of hoists and lifting devices on the market.

We have available both innovative and high-performance systems intended for overhead handling applications. It includes single-beam and double-beam cranes, either overhead or suspended, column-mounted jib cranes, and electric chain hoists.

We carry out projects from A to Z, from the initial study carried out by our design office via the manufacture of cranes in our production unit to their installation. Our standard or customized products are applicable to all industries and comply with current safety standards including ATEX certification.

Do your installation services include maintenance?

We are skilled in the curative and preventive maintenance management of our installations for Verlinde and all other handling equipment manufacturers.. Our qualified technicians assure the perreniality of installations through regular and in-depth checks (68 points) of various lifting systems.

For us, weights to be lifted are of little importance. It is the rate of use that will define the frequency of maintenance.

We offer the 3 following types of preventive maintenance; tasks undertaken within 24 hours; regular general inspections including catering for test loads; finally, access to integrated on-call services (fleet management).

Each maintenance contract integrates follow-up via a CMMS through which we can edit very important elements such as the maintenance plan, the frequency of tasks, availability rate, apportionment of expenditure, etc.

How do you organize your business?

We employ 90 people including 55 mobile on-site technicians through our 4 network-linked agencies. This allows us to perform on-site calls 24/7. Our stock of original spare parts, the ownership of our means of access (nacelles), testing facilities (50 tonnes of test masses) and our specific tools guarantee customers the restart of their installations within the shortest possible timeframe.

Constant training, the necessary authorizations, team spirit, mutual aid, and an advisory service are the backbone of our efficiency.

Can you tell us about your corporate culture?

We are a structured SME where decision-making is mutual among the teams. Whether with supervisors or technicians, we share a real corporate culture where the customer is at the heart of our concerns. Our management system based on the MASE standard (Company Safety Improvement Manual) gives us ready awareness of the needs and problems of our employees.

Your certifications?

The production facility is ISO 9001 2015 certified; the service agencies are MASE certified (Company Safety Improvement Manual). These management systems, run on a daily basis by our QSSE department, provide the necessary traceability and rigour that we owe our co-workers and customers.

What is your development strategy?

On the service side, we have been developing our maintenance contracts with our clients for 15 years. This strategy is winning because through our daily presence we provide our customers equipment security and availability. We also provide advice on the constant upgrading of their lifting equipment.

We provide compliance services including renovation of existing installations in order to improve their performance.

As for manufacturing, for the past 3 years we have chosen to extend our initial range of standard cranes (between 3.2 and 15 tonnes) to cranes with a heavier lifting capacity of 60, 80 or 100 tonnes. With the support of VERLINDE we are developing this catalogue of products for new markets, for example for Naval Group in Brittany, which handles assembly parts for submarines; it is planned to install an 80-tonne crane there in the near future. I should also mention FRAMATOME for whom we built and installed a 75-tonne crane. Very soon a 115-tonne crane for General Electric will be rolled out of our production facility and we also produce cranes for specific applications (ATEX standard; Explosion-proof) for various RATP sites. We have also recruited a sales representative dedicated to this range of products and services.

How do you see your development in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic?

2020 was positive for the company. Even if 2021 seems less assured, certainly due to a lack of confidence in the economy, we will continue to plan with confidence for future growth.
Our strategy to develop maintenance contracts is currently proving very valuable; awareness of customer needs has never been so vital; we are at their sides to support their development.
Teleworking has changed routines and has slowed down decision-making. We also take this into account in our commercial approach.