All General Articles

Cramo has made a one-off €22 million impairment loss for its Central and Eastern Europe businesses as a consequence of low volumes in Latvia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic.

A national UK rental company is one of the several organizations that have expressed an interest in acquiring the Hewden business from Finning International. The Canada-based Caterpillar dealer is currently engaged on a strategic review of Hewden but no decision has yet been reached on whether to sell or retain the business.

How is the current recession impacting on the global rental industry, and when are rental markets expected to recover? Murray Pollok, IRN Editor, provides an overview in a web presentation.

The US stimulus package has yet to have had any impact on the US rental industry, according to the American Rental Association’s John McClelland, vice president of government affairs.

Ramirent’s Norwegian subsidiary, Bautas, has signed a rental agreement with housebuilder Selvaagbygg to supply equipment for all of its projects in Norway. The contract includes Bautas taking over Selvaagbygg’s power generation fleet.

Finning International said the strategic review of Hewden would be completed before the end of the year and that the final decision was likely to be either an outright disposal of the company or its retention in a smaller form.

Rental revenues in France in the third quarter of the year dropped by 14% compared to the same period in 2008, according to the latest survey by French rental and distributors association DLR.

Eve Trakway, the temporary roadway and events equipment rental company, has rebranded as Eve. The company launched its re-branding at the recent Showman’s Show in the UK.

The Italian rental market has declined on average by around 3.5% this year so far, according to the most recent market survey by rental and distributors association Assodimi.

The aerial platform sector is experiencing one of its periodic crises, with large rental companies selling off their platforms and manufacturers trying to survive until the upturn comes. Murray Pollok and Maria Hadlow report.

French company Altrad has completed the restructuring of the Belle Group business it acquired in January this year.

Cummins Power Generation, the Cummins division that operates a power rental business, has confirmed that it will focus on being a supplier to the rental sector rather than a major rental provider in its own right.

Global portable accommodation renter Algeco Scotsman said its multinational footprint was allowing it to weather the economic downturn better than its rivals although acknowledged that business conditions remained very difficult in markets including the UK, Spain and the US.

Tim Ford, president of Terex AWP, used his keynote address at the Europlatform conference to urge the access industry to learn from the current recession.

Multiquip is to integrate its General Construction Equipment (GCE) and MQ Power divisions and promote a single Multiquip brand. Multiquip said the move had been prompted in part by the global recession and that the new structure would position it for future growth.

Manitou’s Bruno Fille resigned from the company at its supervisory board meeting on 26 August. Mr Fille was a 12-year Manitou veteran and executive vice president and a member of the board of directors.

Netherlands rental company Boels is adopting an expansionary strategy during the recession, with 17 new depot openings planned during 2009.

UK equipment rental company Hire Station is using the growth of its online rental business with erento to help it establish its ‘white label’ rental activities through the websites of major UK retail and online brands.

Terex has agreed to pay a US$ 8 million fine to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) relating to several cases of accounting fraud between 2000 and 2004.

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