68
SMOPYC&SAMOTER REVIEWS
IRN JUNE 2014
The recent SMOPYC exhibition
in Spain and Samoter show
in Italywere tests for the
markets in both countries, as
well as for Europe as awhole.
IRN
reports.
This trend was reflected in April’s SMOPYC
exhibition in Zaragoza, Spain, and May’s Samoter
show inVerona, Italy. Bothexhibitionswere tests for
themarket afteradifficult fewyears,with theglobal
economicdownturn takinga severe toll on southern
Europe’s construction equipment industries, as well
as in Europe and internationally.
But while the events were smaller than their
previous editions – the triennial Samoter show, for
instance, attracted around 40000 visitors and 445
exhibitors, compared to 98000 visitors and 900
exhibitors in 2011 – there was a definite sense of
cautious optimism in the air, and a feeling that the
worst, at least, was over.
Speaking to
IRN
during Samoter, manufacturers
including Boels Rental, Hinowa, Fiorio and VF
Venieri made positive noises about how their
rental operations had fared so far this year, and
their expectations for themonths to come (see box
story).
Indeed, Italian tradeassociationUNACEA said 2014
startedwell, withmore positive signs for the Italian
market. It said the first three months of 2014 saw
1352machines soldon thedomesticmarket, up20%
year-on-year.
Putting this into perspective, the Italian
construction equipment market fell 18% last year
to 6192 machines – the sixth consecutive year of
declining sales, from a pre-crisis high of more than
30000machines per year.
President of UNACEAEnricoSantini said the sector
needed new legislation, "to avoid a two-speed
market that penalises customers purchasing new
machines complying with European anti-pollution
standards in favour of those who continue to use
outdated tools".
Signsofachange
N
othing lays bare the condition of the
construction equipment market in a region
quite like an exhibition – in the boom years,
they areoftenburstingat the seamswithexhibitors
and visitors, but when times are hard, the shows
shrink too.
Speaking at SMOPYC, AP Aerial Platforms forecast that smaller
rental companies would find themselves in better position for
when the Spanishmarket recovers.
Speaking at SMOPYC, Bobcat districtmanager for Spain Carlos
Campos was confident that theworst is over for construction
equipment sales in Spain and Portugal.
