Tower crane sales an indicator of recovery?

This is the third in a series of articles in this edition of To Build, which show confidence in the future for the construction community.

Crane & Hoist Equipment SA

The Crane & Hoist Equipment SA team jacking a Potain MD 208A tower crane in Menlyn, Pretoria.

The state of the economy of any country is often put down to the number of cranes and other large capital equipment visible on the skyline of any major city. Indeed, USA-based major construction consulting firm, Rider Levett Bucknall, uses an arm’s length count of the amount of visible equipment as the basis for its RLB Crane Index.

Meanwhile, in South Africa, the number of cranes on the skyline of many cities has dropped and also the depressed state of construction in our country has meant that tower cranes are usually rented rather than purchased, but there is a chance this trend may start changing this year, argues a well-known distributor of on-site building infrastructure.. The South African company, Crane & Hoist Equipment SA, is the local distributor for global tower crane leader Potain. Its MD, Brenden Crous, shares his opinion with To Build. ‘Rental makes up most of our business at the moment, but customers will start buying again when the sector starts recovering, hopefully later this year, says Crous.

He notes that there are already about 200 Potain cranes active in South Africa, making it an established brand with a loyal following. Producing cranes since 1928, Potain has sold over 120 000 cranes into the global market.

Formed in 2017, Crane & Hoist Equipment SA has already had a busy few years. Its rental fleet serves projects with up to 8-ton lifting requirements and a 50 to 60 metre reach. Its appointment last year as Potain distributor is testament to its experience and skills, says Crous.

‘Our management team has a combined four decades of hands-on familiarity with Potain cranes,’ he says. ‘Likewise, our staff have been selected for their equivalent levels of experience with tower cranes.’

Distributor expertise is vital to customers, says David Semple, Senior Vice-President at Manitowoc, the owner of Potain. The company awards distribution rights only where the depth of product knowledge and proficiency has been demonstrated, says Semple.

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