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ACCESS IN ACTION • AUGUST 2016
ACCESS IN ACTION
CALENDAR –
MEETINGS
AUGUST
SA General Meeting – HRIA & EWPA
Thursday, 4 August 2016
5-8pm Heatlie Engineering
NSW Meeting – EWPA
Thursday, 18 August 2016
7am Rydges Hotel, Parramatta
NT Meeting – HRIA & EWPA
Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Air Powered Services, Winnellie NT
5.30pm – 8.30pm Yard Tour & BBQ
SEPTEMBER
QLD HRIA & EWPA combined meeting
Thursday, 8 September 2016
Sunshine Coast, QLD
6pm – 10pm General Meeting
WA Trade Night – HRIA & EWPA
Wednesday, 14 September 2016
LiftRite Hire & Sales, Canning Vale
5.30pm – 8.30pm Yard Tour, Displays, BBQ
VIC General Meeting – EWPA
Monday, 19 September 2016
OCTOBER
National AGM – EWPA
Thursday, 20 October 2016
South Australia
NOVEMBER
SA AGM – HRIA &EWPA
Thursday, 3 November 2016
SA General Meeting – EWPA
Tuesday, 15 November 2016
DECEMBER
NSW AGM & Xmas Dinner – EWPA
Thursday, 1 December 2016
For more information visit:
www.ewpa.com.au
JOIN the EWPA today
- contact
02 9998 2255
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NETWORK
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industry
Issues affecting the European market: the economy has been slow
and sluggish; there is a lot of uncertainty around. Northern Europe is
really good and Southern Europe is beginning to bounce back. But
the uncertainty means people are afraid to invest too much.
Getting finance can be difficult. Inflation is low in most of these
countries but costs still rise. Rental rates across Europe are generally
stagnant and although costs are rising, you can’t get more for your
machine. Finance in Europe is cyclical. You can get it when you don’t
need it; but when you need it, you can’t get it. At the moment, in
most of northern Europe you can get finance, in central Europe its
tough, in southern Europe you can’t. And this is affecting the amount
of equipment bought and market growth.
Technical demands are growing. Secondary guarding is just one of
many things creeping in and people are having to fit these systems,
often retroactively. In the UK, all the big contractors demand
machines are fitted with anti-crush technology. Inspection and
tests – maintenance: there is a new standard being developed. Skill
shortages are a big factor especially for maintenance so much of this
work is being outsourced.
And then there is the sustainability of powered access rental – in the
face of poor rates and rising costs. We collect data on rental rates –
for about the past 15 years and make comparisons year on end. Data
shows machine costs have gone up; labour; delivery trucks; fuel,
energy, property and property taxes have gone up; and changes to
safety appointments on machines are all extra costs. In the face of
all these rising costs, our comparison data shows rental rates for the
past 10 years have been decreasing. Trend is generally downwards
and has been generally downward for 20-30 years. You get less for a
Rough Terrain articulated boom than you did 25 years ago. It does
raise the question: how sustainable is the industry.
However there are solutions. Companies have gotten more efficient.
It used to be when the market was good everyone got fat and happy.
Those days are long gone. Today to make money, no matter how
good the company – you’ve got to be efficient. Companies are having
to work smarter; more things happening like getting more machines
on each truck for delivery; one of the good trends is in specialist
equipment – hybrids and spider lifts. This gives an edge for a while
until everyone dives in and then the price drops again.
Product trends now appearing include:
• Spider lifts – been around for a long time but growing;
• Electric and hybrid lifts – their introduction is being driven by
emissions regulations;
• 3.5t self-drive truck mounts – always strong in Italy and Germany;
• Higher platform capacities – on bigger truck mounts;
• Low level self-propelleds – replacing scaffold towers;
• Telematics/Security – diagnostics and usage + remote monitoring;
• Direct electric drive – AC;
• Approved attachments – pipe racks etc are catching on.
Visit.www.vertikal.net
A European story
Publisher of UK based Cranes & Access magazine;
Kran & Buhne in Germany and host of Vertikal Days
since 2007, Leigh Sparrow gave a run-down at HIRE16
of the state of the market in Europe – covering
trends, equipment, economy and issues affecting the
rental market across the continent. Here’s an excerpt
summary for those that didn’t make it to the show.