MARKET WATCH //

Ipaf Issues Save The Date For Asia Conference 2023

A save the date notice has been issued by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) that its annual Asia Conference & Showcase will be held in 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand, on Aug. 2-3.

This year will see the second in-person Asia Conference since the pandemic, following a successful return in Singapore last July. The two-day event will consist of a full-day conference followed by a half-day site visit to a rental company in Thailand, and there will also be an equipment showcase and networking activities. At last year’s Asia Conference, emerging markets in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand were among the hot topics under discussion, prompting organizers to decide to host the event in Thailand for the first time.

“As is the case every year, the event will offer attendees a fresh insight into the mobile elevating work platform industry across the wider Asia region,” said Raymond Wat, IPAF’s Southeast Asia regional general manager. “We hope attendees will be able to join us in person to meet and network with like-minded safety professionals. We are very excited to be hosting this popular event in Thailand for the first time and

2023 Ara Show Boasts High Attendance

The 2023 American Rental Association (ARA) Show, held Feb. 11-15 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., exceeded attendance numbers from the October 2021 show.

“It’s the first time in three years that our exhibitors and attendees were able to interact without restrictions. Our firsttime programs like Future of Equipment Rental and EventsU were lauded by attendees, and almost all of our signature events set new attendance records,” said Tony Conant, CEO of the ARA. “Being able to see products firsthand, speak with exhibitors, attend education sessions and network on such a large scale all in one place is such a unique opportunity. The energy level was incredibly high over the five days of events.” https://rnt.news/ivm0ky hope that travel restrictions that have hampered attendance for some over the past few years will have eased or been removed completely, allowing us to maximize attendance by delegates from across the whole of Asia to hear about the latest safety and industry developments in the powered access field.” https://rnt.news/uf5crn

More than 750 exhibitors attended the trade show. More than 700 rental professionals attended the full-day education programs in event and equipment rental, respectively.

In 2024, The ARA Show will return to New Orleans and will be held from Feb. 18-21.

MAGNI ADDS KIRBY-SMITH MACHINERY AS NEW DEALER

Magni Telescopic Handlers added KirbySmith Machinery as its newest authorized dealer for Oklahoma and West Texas.

“Kirby-Smith’s unwavering commitment to customer success and strong safety culture is in alignment with our philosophy,” said Joe Leinwol, chief sales officer, Magni America. “They’re a great addition to our nationwide dealer network, and we’re looking forward to a productive partnership.” https://rnt.news/j6fn97

Kirby-Smith Machinery is a distributor of heavy equipment, industrial equipment and cranes in the central United States, offering parts, rentals, sales, service, financing, product support and training. The Oklahoma City-based heavy equipment distributor has 12 branch locations throughout Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Missouri. Kirby-Smith has been fully trained in the application, sales, parts and service of Magni’s products and is ready to introduce the benefits of Magni to its customers.

WOMEN IN RENTAL PROFILE: MARY CROSSLIN AND KARA LONGMIRE, CO-OWNERS OF ALERT RENTAL

Mary Crosslin and Kara Longmire, co-owners of Alert Rental, discuss what it’s like to be fellow co-owners of a business in a maledominated industry, how the industry can add more women and more.

Rental: How did you start in rental?

Mary Crosslin: I applied for a job as a project manager with a software company, and before they interviewed me, I had never walked into a rental store. Since then, I’ve probably been in thousands of rental stores. It was such a refreshing change. We couldn’t ask for better clients and a more supportive industry in general.

Kara Longmire: I answered an ad in an actual newspaper for an accountant at this rental software company (Alert

Sunbelt Acquires Lift Works

Sunbelt Rentals recently added Lift Works, an independent specialty provider of aerial-lift focused equipment rental services to the Chicagoland market.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in St. Charles, Ill., with an additional facility in Rockford, Ill., Lift Works is an independent provider of equipment rental services offering aerial lift-focused solutions to customers in the greater Chicagoland market and throughout the broader Midwest. Lift Works offers equipment rentals, sales and aftermarket services and parts to more than a thousand small and midsized contractors that rely on the company’s customer service and responsiveness to fulfill all their equipment rental needs.

This acquisition increases Sunbelt’s density in the Chicagoland market, expanding its roster of contractors while preserving the customer service, dedicated employee base and company culture that Lift Works has cultivated over the course of its 19-year history. Lift Works’ senior management team will continue to lead the company.

https://rnt.news/yzzf8z https://rnt.news/cvrdtk

Rental). I was one of 70 applicants, so I was delighted to have been chosen. I had been an accountant my whole career up to that, and I worked my way up from senior accountant to controller to CFO, and Mary and I bought the business in 2016.

Rental: How can the industry as a whole encourage more women to join?

Longmire: Mentoring is huge. That doesn’t have to be official of formal. We do a lot informally in our organization.

Crosslin: We have a lot of resources within the American Rental Association, and a big way for women to bridge that gap is to get certifications and make themselves more marketable.

Find more by following the QR code.

Ara Unveils 2023 First Quarter Report

The American Rental Association (ARA) released its first quarter forecast, indicating that United States equipment rental revenue surpassed its prepandemic highs in 2022, ending the year as a $56.1 billion industry. In 2023, the United States equipment rental industry’s growth will soften but still grow. Other findings from the report include: https://rnt.news/4ro3yl

• Year-over-year growth in 2022 was around 13.5 percent, and year-over-year growth is expected to be around 5.3 percent in 2023 and 1.9 percent in 2024. Despite a slowdown, positivity is evident among ARA members with large and small operations.

• Growth will also slow in the U.S. for general tool rental revenue in 2023. Year-overyear growth in 2022 was 6.5 percent. In 2023, 2.8 percent growth is estimated, and in 2024, growth is estimated at 2.9 percent.

Conexpo 2023 Breaks Show Records

CONEXPO-CON/AGG & IFPE

2023 had over 139,000 construction and fluid power attendees from 133 countries, making it the largest trade show in North America with more than 2,400 exhibitors from 36 countries spread out over 3 million square feet.

After five jam-packed days of innovative product launches and major company announcements, enlightening education sessions and countless networking opportunities, CONEXPOCON/AGG & IFPE 2023 came to a close, but not before taking the construction industry to the next level.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG & IFPE

2023 by the numbers:

• 3 million-plus net square feet of exhibits (10.5 percent larger than 2020).

• 139,000-plus registered attendees (6 percent increase over 2020).

• 2,400-plus exhibitors, from 36 countries, including 603 new-tothe-show exhibitors.

• 24,000-plus international registered attendees from 133 countries.

• 91,000-plus scans of badges to access the 190 education sessions.

• 600-plus global media from 33 countries https://rnt.news/80iila

The next CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE will be held March 3-7, 2026, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Xcmg Machinery Unveils New Us Brand Strategy

XCMG unveiled its latest branding strategy at CONEXPO 2023, which took place March 14-18 in Las Vegas.

XCMG plans to focus on five main areas as the basis for success:

• Internationalization

• High-end products

• Customer service

• Green development

• Intelligent development https://rnt.news/dv205n

XCMG’s new service commitment, “Empowering Companion at Your Service,” demonstrates its dedication to its customers, while the new slogan, “Solid to Succeed,” marks the company’s commitment to act unrelentingly in its response to its clients, with the ultimate goal of zero downtime.

A COLLECTION FROM CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023

98,042 steps. 30-plus exhibitor visits. Dozens of valuable conversations. Five days. One CONEXPO-CON/AGG. Here are a few snapshots of Rental Editor Sarah Webb’s first CONEXPO experience.

Volvo Construction Equipment showed off its quietly operating equipment in the Festival Lot.

Kubota Tractor Corp. dug into the ins and outs of its new SVL75-3 machine. New features include a rearview camera, easy access to all maintenance components, redesigned loader arms, a higher hinge pin height, standard LED lights and counterweight options to increase lifting capacity.

Doosan Bobcat unveiled the S7X all-electric skid-steer loader and Rogue X concept machine. Doosan Bobcat North American President Mike Ballweber said, “We challenge what’s possible, break new ground and empower people to do more.” https://rnt.news/39mcjx

Matt Nelson, director of development at Diamond Mowers, gave us a rundown on the new Skid-Steer Belt Drive Disc Mulcher. The new machine offers high torque, productivity and power.

Sinoboom CEO Susan Xu noted that Sinoboom is ready for the North American rental industry with smart applications and electrification.

Moog Construction allowed attendees to map out remote routes for its equipment and then sit back as the machines followed the routes and avoided obstacles such as fence lines.

BY SARAH WEBB