Executive Hire Show 2015
By Peter Brett The Ricoh Arena in Coventry buzzed with activity during the TBH team’s visit, and indeed the organisers confirmed that visitor numbers were up by 10% on last year. My informal chats with exhibitors confirmed the general impression that not only was the number of visitors up, but the quality of enquiries was better too, with many turning into solid leads to be followed up after the show. Last year the hire industry had had a sudden growth spurt because of floods
and other natural disasters, but it seems as though the growth has continued without the fickle hand of nature intervening in 2015. It is hard not to be impressed by the increasingly sophisticated range of diggers,
dumpers, cranes, lights and huge generators that were on display. I am glad that I am not responsible for organizing the movement of them before and after the show. Nightmare! I tended to focus on the sorts of tools our readers might hire from the local
hire shops. Tools that need to be tough, reliable and take all sorts of abuse in the hard working environments they are in. I had a fascinating discussion with the guys from HILTI – the investment in their
state of the art servicing and repair facility in Scotland is really starting to pay dividends. Clever use of electronic monitoring built into modern power tools makes diagnosing problems a lot easier as well as giving information about overloads and hard usage. But more practical solutions, for example, dealing with dangerous dusts that come with the tools when they are repaired so that the repair personnel can remain safe, are great to see. A simple demo using a dust extraction vac showed how safety and ease of
servicing could be built in at the design stage. HILTI are using design to save cost and increase usability and safety, something that will become even more important in the future. A no brainer really for any company looking to sustain its reputation and brand image. It is hard not to notice the huge towers and scaffolds that ladder companies use
to grab visitors’ attention in the exhibition hall. Among these, at literally a much lower level, the Youngman Group displayed the Boss Low Level Work System. With a rating of 275Kg it can be linked with Boss Tower components to make a more of a podium but not quite a tower. Similarly, Lyte Ladders and Euro Towers had their impressive selection on
display, showing that working at height practices have made safety a priority, as well as giving a boost to innovation and business in the working at height industry. CLM Construction Supplies displayed the Lockhard Alulift mobile scaffold that
can be erected by one person as well as incorporating a battery powered platform within the tower. Another favourite in the hire industry is diamond cutting – both cores and
diamond discs – and the machines needed to power them. Husqvarna still has petrol-powered machines but the AC mains-powered disc cutters are not far behind. Even with AC power, they have water-based dust suppressant systems that are perfectly safe to work with and of course without the noise and fumes of petrol power. Perfect for indoor and enclosed sites. Stihl too have gone electric, but with a world’s first TSA cordless cut off saw.
Powered by a 36v Lithium ion battery it has a 70cm cutting depth and a built- in – Continued on Page 24
22 ToolBUSINESS+HIRE
www.toolbusiness.co.uk
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