All Sectors Articles

Hertz Equipment Rental Corp (HERC) is the latest major equipment rental company to sign up with the SmartEquip network that provides online links between rental companies and equipment suppliers for parts and other aftermarket services.

Italian lighting tower manufacturer Tower Light is offering its customers a new software application that will calculate the amount of light required to cover any interior of exterior site.

One of Europe’s largest insurance companies, RSA (formerly Royal Sun Alliance), is warning equipment rental companies to be more vigilant against the threat of plant theft and criminal fraud.

Compact Power Inc (CPI) and Home Depot have signed a deal that will see CPI establish a new company, Compact Power Equipment Centers LLC (CPEC), to run large equipment rental business at selected Home Depot stores.

UpRight Powered Access is launching a wide range of low-level access platforms, including three push-around scissors, a new low cost version of the UL lifts, and an 8 m self-propelled model to complement the well established TM 12.

Industrial auctioneer, Ritchie Bros., raked in more than US$23 million at an auction in Moncofa, Spain on 17 and 18 September

Australian heavy equipment rentals company Emeco is to significantly downsize its European operation over the next year and undertake a strategic review of its US business as part of a restructuring that will also see it sell off many of its smaller ‘civil construction’ machines in Europe and the US.

Spanish rental company GAM has negotiated a new schedule of debt repayment with its lenders to adjust to current business conditions. The company’s revenues fell 25% to €143 million in the first half of the year.

Manitou has reported a 56% fall in revenues to €357.8 million for the first half of the year, with sales down 60% in Europe and 66% in North and South America.

Hewden provides UK leg of the Walking With Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular world tour with access solution

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.

Danish hydraulic tool specialist Hycon has launched a small powerpack and 15 kg breaker comination that it hopes will compete head on with electric breakers.

Netherlands power rental company Bredenoord has developed a hydrogen fuel cell powered generator and has started to rent it at events and other sites in the Benelux area.

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.

Bernd Meyer, co-founder and longtime managing partner of German rental company HKL Baumaschinen, passed away on 27 August aged 69, HKL has announced.

Hewden is making a major push to grow its national accounts business in the UK with the aim of increasing it to 50% of the company’s total turnover, up from the current 33-35% level.

Ashtead claims market share gains Ashtead Group, the UK-based owner of A-Plant and Sunbelt Rentals, said it was gaining market share in difficult trading conditions. The company posted revenues down 19% to £221.6 million for the quarter to 31 July, with operating profits 54% lower at £23.9 million.

A Finnish newspaper, Talouselämän, has reported that one of the country’s major investors, the Hartwall family, could attempt to merge Cramo and Ramirent, the two largest rental companies in the Nordic and eastern European market.

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.