Fortunately for us, most people got the joke and know that we were not involved in the theft, and we are very pleased with the reaction so far,” says Böcker, the company’s managing director.
While French police, government officials and senior executives at the Louvre Museum continue to rack their brains to understand how a group of robbers managed to steal priceless jewels in broad daylight, a German company seized the moment with its 15 minutes of fame.
Böcker, the company that manufactured the furniture lift apparently used in the audacious theft, took to social media to show that there is no such thing as negative publicity.
Company published the ad on Instagram (Böcker)
In a tongue-in-cheek Instagram post, the company, based in Werne, northwest Germany, posted an image of the location after the incident, with the following description: “Next time you need things done quickly. The Böcker Agilo transports your treasures weighing up to 400 kg at 42 meters per minute – as silent as a whisper, thanks to the 230 V electric motor.”
The yet-to-be-identified thieves, who remain at large, made off with historic jewelry worth more than $100 million after breaking into the Paris museum in broad daylight on Sunday morning, when it was already open to the public. Video surveillance footage shows that the robbers entered through the second floor balcony, after climbing in a truck equipped with an elevator.
Alexander Böcker, CEO of German crane manufacturer Böcker Operating Cranes, stands in front of a crane similar to the one apparently used in the robbery. Erol Dogrudogan/Reuters
Alexander Böcker, general director and third-generation owner of the German company, told CNN, in a statement, that he was “shocked” when he saw the news on Sunday and realized that “the elevator had been used improperly for the robbery”.
When it became clear that no one had been injured, the businessman’s entrepreneurial spirit came into play.
“After the initial shock, black humor took over”, explains Böcker, in the statement. “We played around a bit, had fun and came up with some initial slogans.”
The company has received “impressive” and mostly positive feedback, says Böcker. “Fortunately for us, most people got the joke and know that we were not involved in the robbery, and we are very pleased with the reaction so far,” says Böcker, speaking to Reuters.
On Wednesday, Louvre director Laurence des Cars told a French Senate hearing that the museum’s old camera system did not cover the eastern balcony of the Apollo Gallery, where thieves used a small chainsaw to break in.
Laurence lamented the “absolutely obsolete, even non-existent technical infrastructure” used to monitor the country’s most valuable treasures. The museum director offered her resignation to the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, after the robbery, which was eventually rejected.
According to Böcker, the Agilo is mainly used in civil construction and to transport heavy goods during moves, and is not intended for transporting people.
The specific model used in the theft was sold to a customer in the Greater Paris region, Böcker said. But apparently it was stolen from the owner during a demonstration for a potential customer.
“It appears that the company’s registration has been removed and the number plates replaced,” added the company’s general director.
