SC&RA NEWS
53
INTERNATIONAL AND SPECIALIZED TRANSPORT
■
JULY 2013
J
oel Dandrea, SC&RA executive vice
president, attended last month’s
Cranes and Transport Latin America
conference in São Paulo, Brazil, where he
spoke on Association initiatives. The focus
was on SC&RA’s primary concentration
to represent member interests and
value delivery: advocacy, education,
networking and education and the
member value gained from participating
in the Association’s Jobs of the Year
programme. SC&RA has been working
closely with World Crane and Transport
Alliance partner, Sindipesa, for several
years in an effort to organise and provide
information on such initiatives, as well
as pilot car best practices and permitting
for oversized loads. Sindipesa is SC&RA’s
sister organisation and represents similar
industry interests in Brazil.
Dandrea’s presence in São Paulo
exemplified SC&RA’s commitment in
advocating for the international crane
and transport industry by bringing
manufacturers, buyers and related groups
together to foster safety, efficiency,
uniformity and profitability. Behind the
strength of 65 years in business and more
than 1,300 member companies from 46
nations, SC&RA members benefit from an
association that works to keep regulations
less burdensome and workplace safety
practices up to date and fully operational.
SC&RA serves as the eyes and ears of
the industry, the voice of its participants
and the vehicle for delivering products,
services, information, education, research
and outreach. Its strength lies in the
commitment it shows to its members
around the world, and the loyalty they
return. A key objective of SC&RA is to
protect a fair environment in which
companies compete on a level playing
field without unnecessary government
regulation or taxation. As the industry’s
advocate, SC&RA works to establish
excellent and open working relationships
with government entities.
Latin focus
Much of SC&RA’s focus in Latin America
is aimed at helping Sindipesa advocate
for infrastructure development as a
vital component to economic progress.
Growth in this part of the world has
seen tremendous gains in recent years
and the Association realises that fiscal
advancement, both regionally and
nationally for many of these countries, is
directly connected to the conditions of
their existing and proposed infrastructure.
SC&RA is working to help crane and
transport companies in South America
establish business networks and key
partnerships with SC&RA members in
other parts of the world.
With project development increasing
in nations around the world but, especially
in Latin America, the demands on
related transportation infrastructure not
only escalate accordingly but reveal the
dedication required by nations to assure
that their imports, exports, goods, services
and construction timelines land within
schedule and on budget.
Extremely sensitive to regulatory
guidelines, regional politics and simple
topography, infrastructure has become
an undeniable factor in the disparity in
profit margins between nations that actively
invest in it and those that struggle to
address this issue. South America is a good
example, and SC&RA and Sindipesa are
steadily working to protect and promote
progress for members in these countries.
Growth and development in nations
like Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru
has reached considerable heights over
the last two decades, especially notable
when compared to the corresponding
economic arrival of China and its East
Asian neighbours over that same period.
Infrastructure deficiencies in these
countries, however, bring about a serious
competitive handicap when compared with
much of Europe and the Pacific region.
Insufficient rail line and paved road
percentages in relation to GDP within these
productive Latin American frontrunners
still pales in comparison to such
percentages in competing nations around
the world. As an example, Brazil, the
world’s fifth-largest country, boasts nearly
1.2 million miles of road, of which only
10% is paved. Imports and exports aside,
Brazil will host the World Cup in 2014 and
the Olympics in 2016. Substantial deficits
in road and rail integrity could advertise
this nation’s infrastructure problems to the
world and significantly reduce international
trade and commerce appeal.
These countries have remained
competitive as a result of demand: their
principal exports, like gold, copper, iron ore
and agriculture, have flourished amid rising
prices throughout the global marketplace.
Economists warn, however, that such good
International value
SC&RA continues to promote international membership value, most recently at the
Cranes and Transport Latin America conference in Brazil. TIM HILLEGONDS reports
Tradelossa’s 2013 Job of the Year
winner featured a three-piece
installation at a gas generator facility
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