Despite the Covid-19 health crisis impacting significantly on the Lifting Industry, Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) Sector Benchmark Research reveals optimism for the post-pandemic future, and a move towards new and possibly more productive ways of working. Indeed, 72% of firms reported being optimistic for the next 6 months, with this increasing to 80% for the next 12 months. However, the breadth of specialisms and the number of supply chains in the sector have produced a varied picture in the research. LEEA does not expect the sector to return to pre-pandemic patterns of work as there are now clearly different expectations around training, travel and work patterns, according to the research. The majority of firms (over two thirds) reported their attitude towards e-training had changed in the past 12 months, with it being seen much more as an option. Training by Zoom specifically has its supporters, with nearly three quarters of firms reporting that they now see it as a more likely option. However, there is clearly a view that face-to-face training remains the preference, regardless of company size or specialism. Most firms are looking at more focussed travel, however, with 65% reporting that they expect to make changes to their business travel budget post lockdown. Few can be surprised to see such a large percentage of respondents recording revenue falls due to the economic impact of the pandemic and associated lockdowns. Surprisingly, however, the survey reveals a larger percentage recorded an increase in revenue. The picture improves when looking over the duration of the crisis: during the initial pandemic period (April to June 2020), there was an equal split between those reporting revenues up or down compared to the same period in 2019 (45% each). But, across the longer period of April 2020 to February 2021, the balance shifts to 54% reporting revenues up compared to 39% seeing a drop, which gives reason for optimism looking forward. Nevertheless, there has been a dramatic impact on the workforce with an incredible 50% of respondents making job losses attributable to the pandemic across a range of roles. Half the respondents expect the workforce to be smaller in March 2022 than it was in March 2020. While we can speculate about the reasons behind the ups and downs, further research will be required to fully understand which parts of our sector did better than others. “2020 has been a year that none of us expected. Our personal and work lives have all been impacted and as we look forward, we are now trying our best to predict what the future will look like. A year on from the initial lockdown in the UK, LEEA has issued this research aimed at helping us to understand the implications of the pandemic on our industry. It allows us to see the huge financial effects on our industry and the retrenching we are expecting concerning the size of the workforce, how training is conducted and changes to everyday work,” commented Ross Moloney, CEO of LEEA.

Commercial vehicle specialist MC Truck & Bus has launched a new division in partnership with heavy machinery manufacturing giant SANY. MC Plant has won the franchise to undertake the sales, support service and repairs of SANY excavators and other plant for Kent, Surrey & East Sussex. The move comes as SANY continues to establish a regional dealer network across England and Wales after its arrival in the UK in 2015. New jobs will be created with MC Plant currently hiring specialist technicians and the division will grow organically as business expands. MC Plant will be headquartered at one of the group’s main bases in Larkfield, Maidstone, with support from the company’s existing dealerships in Burgess Hill, Hythe and Aylesford. All new and used machinery will be sold from Larkfield – the first stock is already on the ground – with mobile technicians working from each site. The new division is headed up by MC Truck & Bus’s hugely experienced truck and plant sales manager Paul Cogger. He said: “There are very few dual truck and plant dealers in the UK and so this exciting new venture will not only strengthen links with the industries we serve with our current brands but also create dynamic new synergies. This new focus will undoubtedly reinforce relationships with existing and new customers. Our aim is to provide our customers with continuity through their business by offering plant and commercial vehicle services. “We were honoured when SANY approached us and feel our business foundation of strong service and customer-focused solutions will stand us in good stead. SANY is a global brand in the construction industry, well known for producing many products from excavators and loading shovels to cranes and concrete machinery. Their quality plant, allied to our experience, will lead us to our goal of being the number one excavator & plant supplier in the South East.” SANY, founded in Lianyuan, Hunan province in central China in 1986 and now headquartered in Beijing, has 25 manufacturing bases and 18 overseas regional headquarters and works with 8,000 suppliers and 400 dealers.  SANY ranks among the top three global construction machinery manufacturers, offers an industry leading five year warranty across its full range of excavators sold in the UK. Established in 1987, independently-owned MC Group is a complete commercial vehicle solutions provider and asset management company. It is comprised of MC Truck and Bus Ltd and MC Rental Ltd. The company, which hires out, sells, services and maintains commercial vehicles from seven locations across Essex, Kent, Sussex and Hampshire, employs 380 staff and has a rental fleet of more than 2,800 vehicles. MC Group, praised for keeping essential transport services running during the Covid-19 pandemic, was last year named 190th in the prestigious Sunday Times’ special edition of its Top Track 250 listings with sales up nine per cent at £131.8 million. With strong family links across generations, the company also has its own training school. It offers a comprehensive range of services to the commercial vehicle industry, including new and used truck sales, servicing, repairs contract maintenance and preventative maintenance and parts. 

A freestanding luffing jib tower crane has been increased in height to 105 metres by Bennetts Cranes on a luxury residential development in Fulham, London. This is understood to be the tallest freestanding luffing jib crane in operation in the UK currently, meaning it is not tied to the building. Bennetts, a specialist tower crane company based in Gloucestershire, erected the Raimondi LR 213 tower crane in August 2020 at Chelsea Creek, where a selection of Manhattan, one-, two- and three-bedroom homes is being built by St George, part of Berkeley Group. The height is not extraordinary for a crane, with tower cranes that are tied to buildings going to much greater heights than this. However, the crane is unique at this height because it is freestanding and a luffing jib crane. Typical freestanding luffing jib cranes would be between 30 – 60 metres tall for residential developments, with some occasionally reaching 70 metres or more. There are currently none known to be operating in the UK freestanding at over 100 metres. Between 3 – 4 April, a team from Bennetts Cranes used a 1,000 tonne mobile crane to add mast sections and increase the height of the LR 213 from 55 metres to 105 metres. The crane has base towers that are 4.6 metres square (more than double the typical freestanding crane tower of around 2 metres) to withstand the forces at such a height. Edward Seager, Managing Director of Bennetts Cranes, said: “When you double the height of a tower crane, the forces don’t just double, they square, so one of the ways to counteract that is to use a much wider tower base to spread the forces and make it more stable. This base, which is concreted into the ground, is extremely strong and has been brought in specifically for this job. He added: “We were pleased to increase the height of the crane to its final height of 105 metres over the Easter weekend, with good weather, enabling us to complete it within two days.” There has been a steady trend towards using taller freestanding cranes in recent years, driven by changes in cladding systems. Tying cranes to buildings can obstruct cladding being applied and some developers want to attach them during the build without having crane ties in the way. Mr Seager said: “Freestanding cranes can also provide more flexibility on site, and result in a quicker build time because you don’t need to climb the crane and tie it to the building. There are positives and negatives on both sides, because freestanding cranes are typically more expensive as they need to be reinforced to withstand forces, but the hire time can be reduced with a more efficient build.” The LR 213 is working on site with two further cranes including a LR 273, one of Raimondi’s newest luffing jib cranes with an 18 tonne maximum load capacity, and a 10 tonne capacity hydraulic Raimondi LRH174.

CEMEX has announced that it is investing US$25 million in a new system to replace fossil fuels at its Rugby cement plant in the United Kingdom, as part of its “Future in Action” program to achieve carbon neutrality. The new system, which incorporates the use of green hydrogen in the production process, is expected to be fully operational in June 2021. Once completed, it will have the capability to operate at 100% with alternative fuels. This important investment is designed to reduce the site’s consumption of fossil fuels. CEMEX is one of the largest contributors to the circular economy and a leader in using alternative fuels with over 60% use across its European operations, significantly higher than the industry average. In the UK, CEMEX also obtains 100% of its electricity from renewable sources. The project, which is part of a US$100 million investment program in the UK that has contributed towards reducing CO2 emissions from European operations by 35% from 1990 levels, 10 years ahead of its global business target, is instrumental towards reaching its commitment of at least 55% CO2 reduction in European operations by 2030, in line with the European Commission´s aspiration for all its member states. “We believe that this very significant investment in this upgraded facility supports CEMEX’s position to minimise the use of fossil fuels for both environmental and economic reasons. It will enable the Rugby plant to consistently operate with up to 100% alternative fuels, which will contribute to our climate action targets,” said Sergio Menendez, President of CEMEX Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia.

Norwest Plant, Mecalac’s official dealer for North Wales and the North West of England, has agreed a multi-million pound deal with B&W Plant Hire to add 71 state-of-the-art site dumpers to its fleet in 2021. Headquartered in Blackburn and operating from rental sites in Keighley, Northwich and Southampton, B&W Plant Hire’s four depots service construction, agriculture and earthworks professionals across the country. With deliveries spread across 2021, the new dumpers will provide hire customers with access to the latest industry innovations and equipment technologies. Jonathan Campbell, Managing Director of Norwest Plant, commented: “With a hard-earned reputation for service excellence and equipment reliability, the B&W Plant Hire team wanted to expand their fleet with the market’s best site dumpers. “Blending style, performance, technology and safety, Mecalac’s range was deemed the perfect solution. Robust and rental-tough, each model offers class-leading skip strength and a chassis engineered for rugged reliability. We look forward to working closely with B&W Plant Hire throughout 2021, ensuring each new dumper meets exacting standards.” Andrew Partington, General Manager at B&W Plant Hire, added: “Our customers demand the best – and we pride ourselves on delivering over and above expectations. With Mecalac’s site dumper range, we were impressed with the build quality, design and safety technologies included as standard. The 71 new models will be a welcome addition to our fleet – we’re confident that feedback from our customers will be equally as positive.” Paul Macpherson, Commercial Director at Mecalac Construction Equipment UK, concluded: “Flexible, versatile and intuitive, Mecalac site dumpers really are the market leaders. To see one of the UK’s leading private hire companies place a significant order through Norwest Plant is not just a testament to the excellent equipment we make, but also the outstanding service our dealers provide.” For more information about Mecalac, or the company’s innovative portfolio of compact construction equipment, visit https://www.mecalac.com/en/.

Family run plant hire and waste disposal company Buckland Newton Hire (BNH) is now the proud owner of the UK’s first next generation Cat® 313 GC, courtesy of Finning UK & Ireland, the region’s exclusive Cat dealer. BNH purchased the machine specifically to meet the long-term hire needs of a recycling customer, as the new machine enables high productivity at lower running costs. The next generation 313 GC offers increased power and is designed to boost operator efficiency. It also lowers maintenance costs making it popular for rental and all-round excavating applications that require reliability. It includes two modes, Smart and Power, as well as a new, larger cab with improved ingress/egress to boost operator comfort. BNH’s fleet consists almost exclusively of Cat equipment and the 313 GC is not the only new addition. The company has also ordered its first wheel loader, a 950 GC, to arrive later this year. The 950 GC is a versatile, reliable machine with a high power density Cat 7.1 engine, the automatic Cat regeneration system and unmatched reliability and uptime. Both GC machines have been purchased with service contracts, so Finning can guarantee a low cost of ownership. Alongside its purchase of the 313 GC and 950 GC, BNH ordered a fleet of twelve machines from Finning, to support the launch of a new facility in December 2020. This included the company’s first dozer, a D6. “We are always looking for ways to improve and upgrade our fleet,” explained Brad Perrett, Manager at BNH. “The 313 GC is a natural evolution — it means we can maintain our competitive pricing, while offering all the creature comforts of Cat. I was impressed with the simplicity of the design, it is an easy-to-use, powerful, nice looking machine. “Our customers are looking for reliable, durable products,” added Perrett. “We have worked with Finning for over 30 years and see Cat as central to our brand — it’s the thing that makes us stand out locally. Our customers are raving about the next generation Cat equipment — people love them!” “The GC series is a way for companies to become Cat owners at really competitive price points,” explained Jack Cezair, Territory Account Manager at Finning. “They bring many benefits to plant hire companies, as they deliver clear return on investment and means they can become a Cat owner for less than they think. Operators enjoy the comfortable cab design, increase their productivity, while saving on fuel and maintenance costs. We are encouraging others in the industry to challenge their realities and follow suit.” The GC series includes the 313 GC Small Excavator, 315 GC, 320 GC Medium Excavator and the 950 GC Medium Wheel Loader. All four are designed to offer the reliability and durability of Cat products, while offering affordability and lower running costs. For more information on the GC series of equipment, visit https://equipmentuk.finning.com/gcseries/.