COMPACTION & DEMOLITION
48 | HIRE
AND
RENTAL
NEWS
| FEBRUARY 2014
The Jackhammer
Trolley (JHT) from
Makinex is a
demolition tool to
remove floor tiles,
adhesive residue, vinyl
and cork from concrete
and wooden surfaces.
Since the JHT was
first introduced almost
a decade ago it has
undergone a series
of upgrades and
improvements.
The trolley carries
the majority of
the weight of the
jackhammer, relieving
the pressure and strain
from the operator. As a result, operator
fatigue and injury is reduced, Director,
Rory Kennard said.
“With built-in shock absorbers, the JHT
also cuts down on the vibration impact,
Jackhammer trolley smarter safer
Mid-market businesses, including
many in the construction sector, punch
well above their weight in terms of
their contribution to the economy, but
they could do even better if they had
less red tape to deal with, according
to Ian Coleman, Managing Director of
compaction specialist business Conplant.
“While mid-market businesses – those
with turnover in the range $10 million to
$250 million – represent a small fraction
of all businesses in Australia, they’re
responsible for more than a third of
Australia’s business revenue,” Ian said.
“But mid-market businesses have to
deal with significant and ever-increasing
amounts of red tape that really inhibit our
ability to get on with the job of driving
productivity and growth.”
“GE Capital’s recent Australian Mid-
Market report shows the middle market
sector adds about $425 billion to the
Australian economy and accounts for 3.2
million full-time jobs or 1 in 4. The report
also found mid-market players to be
inherently resilient, so these companies are
extremely important to our economy.”
Ian knows firsthand about the resilience
of the mid-market. Conplant expanded
into a number of non-core business areas
just before the global financial crisis,
and like many businesses, Conplant was
hit hard by project cancellations and
postponements due to funding cutbacks.
“We’ve come out of that period much
sharper and our financial performance is
now much stronger as a result. We worked
hard to restructure and get back to our
traditional core business. The business is
back into a position of financial strength
and we’re now in a growth phase.
“This is the sector that can offer real
productivity gains, but we’re so tied
up in red tape, including semi-regular
changes and proposed changes that are
often poorly thought through, it makes
it difficult to find the necessary time to
focus on critical areas like productivity and
growth opportunities.”
Ian said businesses like ours and our
customers’ are increasingly responsible for
regulation of sub-contractors.
Conplant is the sole Australian distributor for
Ammann compaction equipment and has a hire
fleet of over 750 rollers
Government needs to address over-regulation
“Changes to the Immigration Act, for
instance, make Conplant responsible
for informing our sub-contractors about
their legal obligations when employing
their staff, to ensure we avoid civil and
criminal proceedings. We also have 11
pages of guidance for managers on
managing our relationships with sub-
contractors. Administering these and other
requirements such as those imposed by the
Personal Property and Securities Act (PPSA)
takes up a lot of time.”
The World Economic Forum recently
ranked Australia 20th on its competitive
index, despite having the world’s 12th
largest economy. It also put Australia in
80th place for pay and productivity, down
from 40th position in 2007/08.
“Remaining competitive and improving
productivity is simply crucial for Australian
businesses,” Ian said. “I’d like to see
industry and government work together to
find better ways for mid-market business
to function and thrive.”
For more contact: 02 9933 3100 or visit:
HR
which essentially
means less headaches
and back pain,” Rory
said.
In March 2013,
Makinex released an
improved design of
the JHT, reconfiguring
the frame so the
handle bar position
is higher for better
ergonomics.
“We want to be
an industry beacon
when it comes to the
provision of unique
and innovative
products,” Rory said.
The JHT is available
for both sale and hire, with optional
attachments such as a wide chisel and tile
smasher available for specific applications.
For more information call 1300 795 953
or visit
HR
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