MARKET REPORT COMPACT PLANT continued
Avant reports more hirers are adding its machines to their fleets.
Takeuchi’s Tomonori Tamaru finds that environmental issues are also driving interest. “We are still committed to developing our electric hybrid mini excavator, and the return to economic growth means that R&D can be encouraged. Similarly, JCB’s Dan Thompstone says that “demand for machines that are eco-friendly and fuel-efficient is being driven by main contractors responding to new regulations, with London being the clear centre of this drive as it brings in new measures.”
Dan Thompstone reports “a very positive response” to the company’s range of badged Terex dumpers,
with demand across the line-up with capacities from 1-10 tonnes. He also says that
the manufacturer’s skid steer loaders are “increasingly on hirers’ radars as they look to improve returns on differentiated products.”
Thwaites believes that Government initiatives to boost housebuilding are creating more demand for equipment.
Healthy mini excavator sales are matched by demand for compact dumpers. “Generally demand for our construction equipment range is holding up well,” said Ian Brown, MD of Thwaites. “Housebuilding remains the key driver, and initiatives by the Government appear to be working, with potentially more sites opening during 2016. Our range of compact products, including the micro barrow and 1-tonne HiTip dumpers, appeal to a range of end users and tool hire companies seeking to target job sites and customers who are working in confined spaces. We are constantly researching product improvements and these are currently driven by legislation, especially emission levels.”
One hirer that is successfully offering skid steer and tracked loaders is the Wakefield-based MTS Group, which has additional depots in Birtley, Cumbernauld and Leigh, and it claims to have one of the largest UK fleets of Bobcat equipment, for which it is also a dealer. The company says that the versatility of these machines creates many hire opportunities, one of which was the recent hire of an S550 skid steer loader to Clydebank Port Services in Glasgow, together with sweeper and bucket attachments for
unloading shipments of sand, limestone and cement and clearing up afterwards.
A Bobcat S550 skid steer’s compact versatility led to it being hired for work at a Glasgow dockside.
Similarly, Avant Tecno is building its network of hirers that offer its compact articulating loaders, with 24 companies throughout the country now participating. National Sales Manager, John Spencer, says these machines are proving popular for use on soft ground to minimise the risk of damage. “Also, members of the public find them easy to use, with a conventional steering wheel and simple controls, and the wealth of attachments available means that they can undertake many tasks in markets ranging from construction and grounds care, to forestry and highway maintenance.”
JCB says that, by offering more mini attachments, hirers can find new markets. 53
Looking ahead to 2016, suppliers are positive. Volvo’s David Munns believes that the mini excavator market might plateau next year and remain at its current level, as buying patterns become more regular. JCB’s Dan Thompstone says that “while we do not expect massive year-on-year growth, we expect the market to remain strong.” And Kubota’s Dave Roberts says that “what we need is a stable and sustainable market, rather than the pre-recession boom and bust, and what we are now seeing is a welcome re-adjustment to sensible levels of demand.”
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