HIDRO-GRUBERT together with PALFINGER are preparing to take a qualitative leap in the mining business. With full integration into the Austrian group and a proposal that combines local production, advanced technology and after-sales service nationwide, the leading company in the truck-mounted crane segment foresees a strong 2026.
By Panorama Minero
From Hidro-Grubert to Palfinger Argentina
In Argentina, the company operates under the HIDRO-GRUBERT brand, founded in 1937 in Río Tercero as a family venture that moved from repairing agricultural machinery to specializing in truck-mounted cranes and aerial work platforms. Following the joint venture with PALFINGER in 2014 and the acquisition of a majority stake in 2021, the company was integrated into the Austrian group. “Today we are a PALFINGER Group company; we are not an official distributor, but rather we are now PALFINGER Argentina,” stated Thomas Acevedo, company spokesperson. “Today two product lines coexist: the historic N line of HIDRO-GRUBERT and the PK line of PALFINGER, where we aim, gradually and in a controlled manner, to become 100% PALFINGER. Even today, at our plant in Argentina, two PK models are already manufactured and marketed: the PK 15500 and the PK 12000. Both were launched in 2024 and are having resounding success.”
“The incorporation of the PK line into the product portfolio opened the door for us to be present in sectors where high-tonne-metre cranes are required, such as mining.” In this segment, the PK 38502 and PK 42502 models stand out, equipment in high demand both by mining companies and by transport companies that provide services to the sector. For 2026, the goal is to “increase our sales in the mining segment, maintaining a permanent stock of imported equipment and reducing delivery times,” Acevedo expressed.
The Bet on Mining with the ‘Ferrari’ of Cranes
“The mining sector has grown significantly over the past year, and we estimate—and hope—that next year this growth will be even greater,” Acevedo assures, highlighting the dynamism of provinces such as San Juan and Salta. In this context, he announces that the company will participate for the first time in the San Juan Mining Expo in order to be closer to customers and to support the development of a sector they define as being in “constant growth,” alongside which they wish to continue growing.
Industrial Investment and Capacity Leap
Since 2018, HIDRO-GRUBERT together with PALFINGER have been executing an investment plan of more than US$8 million in machinery and equipment with the highest technology, aimed at “improving the quality of all production processes: painting, welding and assembly.” Thanks to these plant improvements, in 2025 “the installation of 24 additional units was achieved,” translating into an estimated 35% year-over-year increase in installation capacity and into “greater stability and continuity of the process.”
In 2024, the PK 12000 and PK 15500 models produced in Argentina were launched, which required adapting the plant to PALFINGER guidelines. “The construction of an entire wing of the painting sector was completed, using state-of-the-art technology materials,” a cutting and bending machine was added, and materials in the N line were changed, adopting imported components such as valves, hoses, hydraulic pumps, controls and steels. That expansion is also reflected in employment: “Today we are 260 employees; before PALFINGER we were around 120 to 130,” growth associated with new positions and work areas.
“In operational terms, 2025 shows clear improvements in volume, planning and work distribution compared to 2024,” the company summarizes, which allows it to accompany the expected growth of the mining sector without losing sight of the standards set by the parent company.
Service, Backing and Long-term Business
As a link in the mining suppliers’ value chain, the company acknowledges competition from cheaper imported equipment, but focuses on “different financing options, after-sales support” and on the long-term “cost-benefit,” where the truck-mounted crane is consolidated as an investment due to its performance and resale value. “The idea or the ideal is to offer a product of excellence in quality, lifting capacity and equipment weight,” and therefore “PALFINGER is internationally known as the Ferrari of cranes,” tested in Europe before reaching Latin America, the company emphasizes.
The relationship with the customer does not end with the sale: “Today we have commercial workshops throughout Argentina. Wherever the customer is, they will have after-sales service support,” with main hubs in Río Tercero and Buenos Aires and official workshops in almost all provinces, under exclusive contracts.
Looking ahead, the objective is to “continue growing structurally, produce more PALFINGER models in the country to reduce delivery times and expand the after-sales service network—not to remain with two or three per province, but to increase that presence—accompanying the development of mining in Argentina,” Acevedo concluded.
