63
PRODUCTS AERIALPLATFORMS
IRN JUNE 2014
¬
few months with a view to potentially coming up
with a design. The emphasis, he said, would be on
outreach, rather than a maximum working height.
So, watch this space.
Snorkel was the subject of one of the access
industry’s biggest talking points this year, when it
returned to US ownership. Las Vegas based Xtreme
Manufacturing acquired majority ownership of the
business from UK-based Tanfield, which retains a
49% share.
Xtreme is the telehandler manufacturer owned
by Don Ahern, also owner of rental giant Ahern
Rentals. The deal will see Xtreme invest between
US$35 and $50 million (€26 to €37 million) on a
recovery plan. The strategy will be for Xtreme to
use Snorkel’s global sales network to boost exports
of its telehandlers, while Snorkel’s volumes will be
increasedby sales toAhernRentals, historicallyone
of its biggest customers.
In recent years shortage of working capital has
constrainedSnorkel’sability toexploitopportunities
in the powered access market. It made losses of
UK£14.6 million (€17.9 million) in 2012. Subject to
Snorkel making profit targets Xtreme will increase
its share of ownership over time, and hopes to
propel Snorkel higher up the rankings in terms of
revenue.
Scissor focus
To achieve such financial feats, manufacturers have
to be strong in the core products segments and
workingheights.
One of them, Scissor lifts, may not be the most
glamorous products when it comes to access
equipmentbut theyareperhaps themost important,
particularly if we look at sales volumes. For that
Breaking
records
The countdown is on to the eighthAPEX aerial
work platform exhibition, takingplace in
June, and it is shapingup tobe thebest ever,
according to
IRN
's sistermagazine
Access
International
.
The three-day show at theAmsterdamRAI
ExhibitionCentre in theNetherlands, 24-26
June, this yearwill break records for exhibitor
numbers and space. Itwill alsoboast dozens of
product launches - see theMay issueof
Access
International
for a full round-upof thenew
machines.
More than 100 exhibitors from all over
theworld, includingChina, have confirmed
their stand space andwill demonstrate their
products and services in a live environment. It
will feature an inside exhibition areaof 11000
m
2
- a substantial increase from the 10000m
2
at the last APEX show, held atMECCMaastricht
in 2011. Theoutside areawill be 10000m
2
,
almost double the sizeof theoutside area at
the last edition.
The event will serve as an important
platform for networking, knowledge sharing,
and shaping the industry’s future. “We can
already say that APEX 2014will be thebiggest
international access industry fair anywhere in
theworld,” said TonyKenter, managingdirector
of showorganiser Industrial Promotions
International (IPI).
monitor howmany they sell.”
Instead, Haulotte is also concentrating on lower
working heights with a new series of rough terrain
articulated booms in the 16 m working height
category. The French manufacturer designed the
three-model HA16 RTJ series to access the most
difficult working areas. It has a maximum outreach
of 8.3m and an up-and-over clearance of 7.65m. It
also offers the industry’s quickest lifting speed to
full height in40 seconds, says the company.
Returning to superbooms, Snorkel may have
something in the pipeline. DonAhern, Snorkel’s new
majority owner, told
IRN
that it would be looking
at the very large boom segment over the next
Pecolifts in use at the UK£50million fit-out of the
News Corporation building (Baby Shard), Southwark,
London, UK. Main contractor is ISG.
SOCOMECSPA
MEDESANO (PR) - ITALY
ph. +39 0525 420929
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