10
SCAFFOLDING NEWS
ACCESS, LIFT & HANDLERS
MARCH 2014
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Sales at
JLG
increased 15 percent
to $668.6 million in the first
quarter of its 2014 financial year,
compared to the same period
last year. The improvement was
primarily driven by increased fleet
replacement in North America
and Europe, said the company,
as well as favorable pricing.
Sales of access equipment,
excluding U.S. military contract
sales, rose 17.2 percent in the
first quarter. “The increase in
aerial work platform unit volumes
in North America was due in
part to the acceleration of some
orders ahead of Tier 4 engine
price increases,” added the
spokesperson.
MANITOU
said its access
equipment sales reached record
levels in 2013 although lower
sales of Gehl and Mustang skid
steer loaders in North America
dampened North American
business. The access sales,
together with an overall “marked
increase” in orders from rental
companies, helped the company’s
rough terrain telehandler division
grow by 9 percent to $292.
73 million (
€
215.2) in the final
quarter of the year, although
the division’s total revenues for
2013 were down 5 percent. The
company does not split out the
value of access equipment sales
at its rough terrain tele division.
UNITED RENTALS
is forecasting
revenue growth of between 12.5
percent and 17 percent this year
on the basis that the bulk of
the recovery in non-residential
construction has still to come
and that the rental sector is at
the early stages of a multi-year
growth cycle. The company
posted a 6.2 percent increase in
revenues for 2013 to $4.66 billion
(compared to combined revenues
for United and RSC in 2012). Net
profits for the year were $387
million, up from $75 million in
2012. Fourth quarter revenues
rose 7.1 percent to $1.34 billion,
with net profits of $140 million,
up from $41 million in 2012. The
revenue increases result from a
6.9 percent rise in the volume
of equipment on rent and a 4.2
percent average increase on
rental rates.
Genie debuted its new 69-inch, bi-energy, hybrid, rough terrain
scissor lift series to a handful of editors at its Moses Lake, WA
facility in January. The company will officially unveil the Genie BE
scissors at The Rental Show, Feb. 9-12 in Orlando. For more on
the unit, see our Scissor Lift feature on page 34.
IronPlanet forms alliance
with web-based Mascus
On-line used equipment
auction company IronPlanet has
announced a strategic alliance
with Mascus, a web-based market
place for heavy equipment. The
deal will see IronPlanet take a
minority shareholding in Mascus
for an undisclosed amount.
The deal will see the two sites
integrated, allowing sellers on
the Mascus site to pass items on
to IronPlanet for auction. Buyers
on the IronPlanet site meanwhile
will have access to the equipment
listed on Mascus.
“I am excited to be working
with Mascus and continuing to
pioneer and revolutionise how
sellers and buyers connect
worldwide to satisfy the
disposition and acquisition of used
heavy equipment. Our integrated
online marketplaces will provide
unparalleled remarketing services
for our customers,” said Greg
Owens, CEO of IronPlanet. “We’re
excited to bring our 13-plus
years of industry expertise and
innovative technology to support
the needs of Mascus sellers and
buyers.”
According to the company,
IronPlanet has sold more than
$3 billion worth of various pieces
of used equipment since it was
established and has built an
audience of 1 million registered
users in almost every country in
the world.
“Our alliance with IronPlanet
will further enhance the offerings
and value that Mascus customers
have come to expect from our
online marketplace,” Tim Scholte,
CEO of Mascus added.
Lift-A-Loft
debuts aerial
Lift-A-Loft Corporation has
debuted its ML26 aerial lift. This
unit was specifically designed to
work with MARC (Maintenance
and Retrieval Cart) developed by
Accu-Flex Safety. The system is
designed to work in high-density
warehouse operations where
storage space is maximized with
multi deep rack systems and
smaller aisle ways.
The ML26 offers high angle
rear steering for working in aisles
and proportional drive controls.
This allows the MARC to be
positioned and secured in the rack
structure. Once the unit is locked
in position on the tracks, it can
be released from the ML26. The
operator then simply transfers
to the MARC using a “Y” lanyard
Lift-A-Loft’s ML26 aerial lift.
system so that they achieve 100
percent tie off. The operator then
uses the cordless drill to drive
the unit back in to the rack. Once
the job has been complete, the
MARC can be driven back to the
ML26 and locked in to position.
After the operator transfers to the
main platform, the unit can be
unlocked from the tracks lifted up
and driven back out of the rack
structure. The ML26 can also
be used for other general facility
maintenance tasks that require
work at elevation.
