Hire and Rental News - May 2018

INDUSTRY NEWS 12 HIRE AND RENTAL NEWS • MAY 2018 “With forecast growth of more than 14.5% (equal to $5.3 billion) commercial building activity will be strong enough to drag the whole industry back into positive territory for the first time in four years,” Matthew Pollock, Master Builders Australia’s National Manager Economics said. “Better yet, new commercial construction projects will provide job opportunities for workers who may be finishing up on major high density residential projects over the next 12 months or so,” he said. “New retail related construction is expected to rise to $6.9 billion in 2017–18, led by the recent introduction of some big international retailers, including Amazon which recently built a large distribution Commercial construction set to surge to best year in a decade Commercial construction activity is expected to contribute $42 billion to the economy in 2017–18 according to the latest Building & Construction Industry Forecasts produced by Master Builders Australia. centre in Melbourne’s Dandenong South and plans by Aldi to open another 30 stores across the country in the next 12 months,” Matthew said. “Asia continues to be a strong source of tourist visitor numbers, particularly from Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and China. Asian investment is following the tourists with $4 billion committed to the construction of a new pipeline of resorts and hotels with Queensland’s resort sectors forecast to do well,” he said. “Looking a little further down the track, the Government’s investment in major transport infrastructure is ramping up and will support a boom in transport related construction over the next five years. There are currently more than $170 billion in transport projects in the pipeline, with activity expected to peak in 2019–20. “In residential building, the last three years saw unprecedented growth in new housing construction. We have built more than 200,000 new dwellings per year – a feat unmatched in our history,” he said. “Despite the forecast showing a moderation in new dwelling construction, we expect commencements in 2017–18 to top 195,000 and average around 185,000. To keep pace with population growth we will need to build at least 185,000 new dwellings each year for the next five years,” Matthew said. Visit: www.masterbuilders.com.au Held at the Kennards Hire Artarmon Branch on Thursday 5 April, Kennards’ Supplier Awards Night also marked the business’s 70th anniversary, which started in Bathurst, NSW in 1948. The Kennards Hire team from across its 170 branches across Australia and New Zealand are surveyed on how suppliers best meet the company’s four values. The results are averaged to determine the Supplier of the Year and individual Value Award finalists and winners. Angus Kennard, CEO of Kennards Hire, said one supplier in particular stood out above the many winners on the night. “JLG Industries (Australia) won Supplier of the Year, received silver for the ‘Taking Hire Higher’ and ‘Fair Dinkum’ categories, and won gold for ‘Every Customer A Raving Fan’,”Angus said. Bob Mules, General Manager of JLG Industries (Australia), said: “Our team at JLG Industries is privileged to win several awards at the Kennards Hire Supplier Awards Night; to take home the award for Supplier of the Year is an honour. “We’ve worked with Kennards Hire for JLG Industries crowned Kennards Hire Supplier of the Year 2018 JLG Industries (Australia) has been crowned Kennards Hire Supplier of the Year 2018 and also took home gold in the ‘Every Customer is a Raving Fan’ category at the family- owned hire company’s bi-annual Supplier Awards Night. Fair DinkumValue Award – Tyrolit Australia; Every Customer a Raving Fan Value Award – JLG Industries (Australia); Taking Hire Higher Value Award – Tyrolit Australia; One Family Value Award – Hilti (Australia); Customer Service Award – Phil Rowden, Tyrolit Australia; Best New Product Award – Stihl Australia’s Cordless Cut Off Saw – TSA230; Commercial Support Award – NNR Global Logistics Australia; Supplier of the Year Award – JLG Industries (Australia). Visit: www.kennards.com.au 25 years now and there’s no other company that goes to these lengths to recognise the support of their suppliers. I’d like to thank Kennards Hire for its continued support and the opportunities it provides.” Among the new product releases in the Kennards Hire range last year, Stihl Australia was awarded gold for its Cordless Cut Off Saw – the TSA230. ASPAC Group’s Athena Bi-Levelling Scissor Lift and D&D Group’s Portaboom came in as close finalists. “Without the support and loyalty of our suppliers, some of which have been with us since we began back in 1948, we wouldn’t be where we are today,”Angus said. “Our suppliers are like family and provide us with quality equipment, service and training our branch teams can then confidently share with our customers.” Kennards Hire Supplier Awards 2018 (Australia) included: Kennards Hire CEO, Angus Kennard, General Manager JLG Industries, Bob Mules and Brendan Fleiter