Investors are usually wise to be cautious about buying into growth stories predicated on mergers and acquisitions, but Manitex (MNTX) looks like a different sort of story, and one that may end well for patient investors. Eschewing more commoditized areas of the material handling market, Manitex has built a name for itself in heavy lift boom trucks, rough terrain cranes, and rough terrain forklifts, and is now looking to the fast-growing intermodal market as another potential avenue for growth.
While the company has plenty yet to prove with respect to margins and return on capital, the risk-reward balance here seems intriguing for more aggressive investors. I believe Manitex can not only drive improved operating margins from greater...