FEBRUARY 2022 VOLUME 23 NO. 3
Barter Perrier discuss the consequences of false or misleading advertising Page 45
FEATURES
06 Coates launches philanthropic foundation
14 10 Tips for success in 2022 24 Advice on recovering debts
20 How to create a B2B Brand Strategy 42 Nifty celebrates 21 years in Australia
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Contents 04 06 08 10 11 12 14 17 18 20 24 26
President’s message Coates launches philanthropic foundation Indemnity clauses Tools and building trends for 2022 Shore Hire appoints new CEO ACA on construction ‘sustainability’ 10 tips for business success in 2022 Kennards helping build positive youth futures Innovators connecting systems How to create a B2B Brand Strategy Debt recovery Waimea Australia launch
27 30 32 34 36 38 39 40 42 44
Access in Action TSHA President’s message Haulotte’s SIGMA 16 lands in Australia BROOKS Hire expands to access JLG grows Compact Crawler Boom range A new era for tracked aerial platforms EWPA appoints training auditor Bluelift SA11 Spider Lift Nifty celebrates 21 years in Australia LGMG enters Australian market
45 46 47 48 49
Events HRIA Events President’s message Harry the hirer Aggreko brings Van Gogh Alive Australian-made floor-for-hire
50 50 51 53 54 55 56 58 60 60 62
Equipment Vikings pivot for success Blue Diamond leads on green power Lifeguard lighting range 1300TempFence SiteHQ Pramac/Generac range Huski Skid steers ASV RT-50 Posi-Track Loader Dingli 1.5t glass lift Floorex Satellite 480 Generation4 Aussie self-primed pumps
the Barter Perrier discuss or consequences of false misleading advertising Page 45
FEATURES
in 2022 14 10 Tips for success debts 24 Advice on recovering
ic foundation 06 Coates launches philanthrop Brand Strategy 20 How to create a B2B years in Australia 42 Nifty celebrates 21
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HIRE AND RENTAL INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LTD ABN 70 093 630 847 HRIA BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Mark Burton Tel: 0407 608 420 Vice President Tony Symons Tel: 0421 051 367 Past President Jeff Bernard Tel: 0439 885 188 Chief Executive Officer James Oxenham Tel: 02 9998 2255
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Operations Manager Scott Mundy Tel: 02 9998 2255 NSW President Nathan Venables Tel: 02 4283 6733 VIC President Ken Maher Tel: 03 9369 880 Interim QLD President Tony Crane Tel: 1300 482 654 SA President Ben Quirk Tel: 08 8370 2488 WA President Craig Palmer Tel: 0457 308 066 EVENT DIVISION President Erin Johnston Tel: 02 4256 2439
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HRIA PO Box 1304, Mona Vale NSW 1660 Tel: 02 9998 2255 Fax: 02 9998 2299 Email: info@hireandrental.com.au Web: www.hireandrentalnews.com.au PUBLISHER – Martin Sinclair Tel: 02 9998 2213 Email: martinsinclair@hria.com.au Web: www.hireandrentalnews.com.au EDITORIAL Editor: Virginia Laugesen Tel: 02 9998 2207 Email: VirginiaLaugesen@hria.com.au ADVERTISING National Sales Manager: Martin Sinclair Tel: 0417 450 662 Email: martinsinclair@hria.com.au
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On the cover
Hire&Rental
On the cover celebrates Nifty’s 21 Years in Australia. See page 42 in the Access in Action section to read all about their success story.
CIRCULATION Circulation Enquiries/Customer Service Tel: 02 9998 2255 Printer: Bright Print Group Tel: 02 9757 3000 Distribution: D&D Mailing Services Tel: 02 9725 2114 Opinions published in the Hire and Rental Industry Association magazine – Hire & Rental Magazine – do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the association or the Editor. The HRIA accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any information contained in this magazine and readers should rely upon their own enquiries in making decisions related to their own interest. The contents of this publication are subject to copyright and cannot be reproduced in any way or form without written consent from the Editor. All rights reserved. ISSN 1838-1197
6.384 (Audit period Mar 2019) CAB Member since Mar 2010
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Stay connected to meet the new demands of rental customers
President’s message
BY MARK BURTON HRIA NATIONAL PRESIDENT
Managing your business with your glass half full rather than half empty is the best way I see us getting through 2022.
I remember a time when the only type of customer demand was good demand. But now, 24 months on from the start of the pandemic, demand now comes with a host of challenges that leaves us questioning whether we can deliver to the high standards that mean so much to us. What’s frustrating is that many of us have spent years, decades, building businesses with quality in mind. But the components that contribute to delivering quality are under threat by resourcing challenges not of our making.
So how do we manage through these issues?
For me the key is our relationships. Not just with the customer, but with our colleagues in the industry. It’s through our network and our support structure that increased challenges of delivery can be met. That’s one of the many reasons why being part of the HRIA is so important. It’s at times like these that membership of our ‘club’ pays massive dividends. And as we look forward to 2022, with our glass half full, I’m very confident that the strategic work we did through 2021 will give members even more advantages as we all face these obstacles head-on.
What trends can we expect in 2022?
Its fair to say that as a new year begins, the trends we expect to see might well have been laid out in the closing months of the previous year and with constant change, the difficulty lies in which ones to commit to. So here are three of the big trends to consider that will shape the course of our industry in 2022. 1. Net Zero. You might see this as a long way off and an issue for the politicians but keep an eye out for what our customer
groups are doing, and you’ll probably find a common theme in their strategy statements, from sustainability to the circular-economy and of course net-zero. Across the country and particularly on tier one and government led projects, this will mean that demand for low-emission products that, for example, are fully electric, will get stronger. 2. Flexible working. This is an issue facing companies across many different industries and companies are having to rethink their working arrangements. What closed borders taught us is how reliant our economy is on casual labour, both domestic and overseas. The trends here will influence the way we, as employers, structure our working culture to better meet the demands of the work-life balance as well as for salaries and hourly rates. 3. Productivity. The underlying trend here is looming inflationary pressure. And the way we help customers achieve their need for greater productivity is to offer products that are more robust, reliable, well maintained and supported.
For me the key is our relationships. Not just with the customer, but with our colleagues in the industry.
FEBRUARY 2022
2022’s biggest challenges
Again, I will name three and in an ideal world, if none of these existed, we could go full-bore at those ‘exciting’ trends. But the truth is, the challenges that all industries face are fundamental to operations. Solutions need to be found, because without addressing the challenges, we simply don’t open. 1. Labour. Finding talented staff has always been a burden; and skill shortages are nothing new. But when you struggle to find even low-skilled or casual staff to work at temporary events or during peak times, there’s a big problem. What we need is for free movement of labour across not only domestic, but international borders. Deals like the impending Australia/UK Free Trade Agreement will help deliver workers to many of our industries. 2. Prices. Input costs are starting to go up and this will inevitably lead to pressure on rental prices. On the face of it, this would appear to be fraught with competitive risk, but actually, this might be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to set pricing at more realistic levels. 3. Supply. The big threat here is that while demand is so strong, customers will seek alternatives if you’re unable to fulfill an order. But everyone is in the same boat, so keeping your network strong will be critical to delivering seamless service to your loyal customers.
And just like that
When the pandemic becomes endemic, hopefully all this will be behind us, and I’ll be raising a full glass to friends and colleagues at this year’s convention at my hometown in Adelaide on May 25th and 26th. Until then, please take care, stay safe and look after each other.
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Taking philanthropy and community support ‘Hire’ The Coates tradition of giving back has been made formal and sustainable by the establishment of a foundation to streamline charity and community work as diverse as donating food hampers and nurturing workplace mental wellness.
By Cole Latimer National equipment hire and solutions provider Coates has launched a charitable foundation designed to boost its philanthropic capabilities and make a greater impact across Australia. It is part of the company’s broader goal to support the people of Australia, whether through access to equipment and services when they need them or by building stronger communities. Dubbed the Coates Foundation, the new organisation will provide the company increased structure and focus in its philanthropic work. Five charities are currently supported by Coates, as well as initiatives within communities.
A sustainability pillar
“[It will aid] our approach to ‘giving back’ to the communities in which we operate,” the company stated. “The legacies we leave are part of the ongoing foundations of our organisation.” It comes as the company celebrates over 136 years in operation, as it provides more than one million pieces of equipment across 150 branches throughout the country.
Murray Vitlich Coates CEO
Mission Australia distributed Christmas hampers provided by Coates staff in 2021 through the newly established Coates Foundation
The launch of the Coates Foundation is part of the company’s broader Sustainability Strategy, launched late last year with the ultimate commitment of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040. This strategy aims to make a broad, long-lasting impact, changing the way Coates operates while inspiring others to act as well. The strategy looks to increase sustainability through eco-efficiency measures that reduce waste and maximise use of recycling, water management and renewable energy; through providing a safer, inclusive workplace that inspires sustainable practices; developing greener choices for customers through equipment solutions; helping customers build resilience and supporting them through natural disaster management and recovery; and importantly strengthening its role in the communities in which it operates, leaving long-lasting positive legacies. It is the last pillar of the company’s strategy that was the driving force behind the launch of the Foundation. “Engagement with the community is at the heart of this business and has been for 136 years,” Coates CEO Murray Vitlich said. “For Coates, it’s not only about doing well as a business, but also doing good.” Vitlich added that the Foundation will help all levels of the business make a positive impact. “We want our organisation and employees to consistently learn, understand and commit to assisting with the varied and ongoing challenges that the communities we work within face by making a constructive and lasting difference,” he said. Vitlich added that it will help the company achieve its vision of being the market leader in safe, smart, and sustainable solutions. “We aspire to strengthen the resilience of our people, our customers, and our planet by playing our part in the circular economy,” he said. “Through driving eco-efficiency and resilience in our business and equipment solutions, we will contribute to a sustainable economy that keeps products and materials in use, designs out waste and pollution, and helps regenerate the natural environment.”
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Programs, partners and targets
The newly launched Foundation selected This Is A Conversation Starter (TIACS) – a group focused on providing mental health support and counselling to tradies and blue collar workers – and Mission Australia as its inaugural charity partners ahead of Christmas. “In conjunction with the Coates Foundation launch, we encouraged all employees nationally to consider taking part in Mission Australia’s Christmas Appeal by donating directly to the charity themselves or by creating Christmas hampers that could be distributed across Mission Australia locations throughout the country,” Vitlich said. Mission Australia CEO James Toomey welcomed the Coates Foundation’s support. “We’re looking forward to creating an engaging program so Coates teams can contribute to Mission Australia’s work providing support and ensuring people have every opportunity to thrive, right across the country.” The Coates Foundation provided Mission Australia more than 110 ribboned and labelled Christmas sacks and hampers filled with pantry staples and festive treats for those in need ahead of the holidays. As part of its Christmas-focussed charity work, the Coates Group also supported the Westmead Children’s Hospital’s annual Christmas toy drive. In addition to The Foundation backing TIACS and Mission Australia, Coates itself is continuing its existing philanthropic support of the Seven Telethon – as part of the broader Seven Holdings Group, which owns Channel Seven; mental health focussed R U OK?; the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, which donates much needed medical equipment for children in paediatric wards, neonatal units, maternity wards and emergency departments across the nation; and the First Nationsfocussed Clontarf Foundation. The Clontarf Foundation is a partnership that was launched in 2021 as part of the company’s ‘Reflect’ Reconciliation Action Plan. This plan aims to deliver
formal cultural education to more than 90 per cent of the workforce and sets an Indigenous apprentice employment target of 10 per cent by 2025. In 2021, Coates launched a three-year partnership with the group, supporting 120 First Nations students at Clontarf academies around the nation. Some of these students have even gone on to be employed by the company as apprentices. Tropical shirt Fridays help the Coates Townsville team start conversations about workplace mental health •
Mental wellness support
At a more local level, the Foundation is working to inspire employees to support their communities. It comes as the company has recognised the need to support remote and regional communities that do not have adequate access to medical services, in particular specialist mental health services. In Townsville, Queensland, a Coates team were thinking on how to improve mental health within the workplace – mirroring the work the company does nationally with R U OK? – to foster open and honest conversations on wellness. They initiated a ‘tropical shirt Friday’, wearing bright TradeMutt shirts with YNWA (You’ll Never Walk Alone) on the front and the Foundation’s partner TIACS’s logo across the back to raise awareness and normalise speaking about mental health and suicide. Coates CEO Murray Vitlich said, “Our team in Townsville took it upon themselves to tackle the subject of mental wellbeing at work in a way that made an impact, not only among our employees but also for the community and customers they work with.” “It’s a testament to how our teams are motivated to engage and proactively foster change and leave a positive legacy, both internally and externally to Coates.” The company added that as communities continue to face uncertainties due to the impacts of COVID-19, it will focus on supporting them with access to the equipment and services they need to stay afloat during the pandemic.
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Brian Hardy - Head of Specialist Kennards Hire
Tool and building trends for 2022 Equipment to build a sustainable future.
By Brian Hardy • Head of Specialist, Kennards Hire During recent years, the impact of increasing climate anomalies, such as the Black Summer bushfires, floods and now La Nina, have heightened Australians’ awareness of the need for sustainable products and practices. This has driven demand for more companies, from big construction players to small businesses, to become drivers of change, in their own capacity, to help create a greener future. Australians are progressively questioning how the actions, practices and ethical choices of brands are impacting our planet. To meet the societal changes, many industries, including building and construction are working to change the way they operate to help ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy a clean and safe earth for years to come. According to the Climate Council of Australia, one in four homes now has solar panels, demonstrating the growing shift towards clean energy options across the nation. Heading into 2022, Kennards Hire predicts that this growing demand for clean energy will see businesses further strive to reduce their emissions on all scales of construction projects. To meet these increasing environmentally supportive demands, Kennards Hire is offering a growing range of sustainable equipment solutions.
Their most recent is a ‘Hybrid Power Generator’ (HPG), a direct result of listening to feedback from procurement managers who were consistently calling for products that made the job easy, while also doing the right thing for our planet. This innovative piece of equipment eliminates the need to constantly refuel with diesel and instead generates power through solar. When the sun isn’t shining, the generator switches to battery power from its backup generator. Using solar and battery technology to generate and store reliable, clean power, the HPG is easily run without the need to be connected to an overhead electricity network. With connected frame-mounted solar panels and attached battery banks — this generator also limits noise pollution, running at a much quieter volume compared to other generator counterparts. Many construction sites are shifting to using hybridpowered equipment to complete their green star accredited projects. In the past, construction has been known to be a big contributor to global emissions. Most estimate that buildings, in construction and operation, use between 30 and 40 per cent of global energy, depending on the metrics. However, for example, at the regional NSW construction site pictured above, the HPG easily generated clean power, mitigating the environmental impact of the job. On this project, the 45kVA unit ran 24/7 for 28 days and saw a 97 per cent decrease in generator run time, it saved $6,500 in fuel costs and reduced CO₂ by 12 tons. With the green building market expected to grow by at least 14 percent by 2027, this isn’t a trend that will slow down. The introduction of environmentally friendly equipment will soon become commonplace for all construction and building projects. Kennards Hire has strong plans to continue to introduce more sustainable equipment options to meet the growing ‘green’ demands of the industry and promote hiring over buying to reduce consumption of tools and equipment.
FEBRUARY 2022
INDUSTRY NEWS
Shore Hire appoints Ashley Lancaster as new CEO Shore Hire, one of Australia’s leading suppliers of highquality shoring, propping and traffic equipment, has recently appointed Ashley Lancaster as the Company’s new CEO. An experienced leader, Ashley commenced his position as CEO in October 2021, following his role as Shore Hire’s National Operations Manager. Ashley succeeded Richard Purser, following retirement. Richard continues at Shore with a position on the board. Ashley brings to the role extensive management experience in the construction industry. His impressive career spans more than 20 years, with previous appointments including Regional Manager at Gough & Gilmour and General Manager NSW & ACT at Coates Hire. “I would like to thank Luke and the Board for providing me with this opportunity,” said Ashley. “I am honoured to be appointed CEO at Shore Hire. It’s an
Ashley Lancaster, Shore Hire CEO
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exciting time for the company as we continue to expand our product range and grow the business nationally. I look forward to driving the team and business toward further successes.” A results-driven leader, Ashley joined Shore Hire in February 2018 as Assets, People and Compliance Manager. In June 2019 he accepted the position as National Operations Manager where he was responsible for Shore Hire’s national branch network and manufacturing teams. Ashley also holds qualifications from Harvard Business School’s Executive Program and an Advanced Diploma in Business Management. Speaking on Ashley’s appointment, Shore Hire Founder and Chair, Luke Geelan, said: “We are thrilled to have Ashley on board as CEO. His deep knowledge of the construction industry and wealth of experience has him well placed to drive Shore Hire’s continued growth. “Ashley is extremely well respected across our industry both nationally and internationally. He is certainly the right person for the job, and I am confident that under Ashley’s leadership Shore Hire will maintain the strong momentum it has built over the past 10 years.”
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Connecting the dots for a more sustainable construction industry Work has begun to reform the culture of one of Australia’s largest and most complex industries. Jon Davies, CEO of the Australian Constructors Association, outlines what’s behind his organisation’s partnership with government for this cause, and the significant opportunities ahead with updated habits and values.
The construction industry has been presented with an enormous opportunity. We’ve been called upon to the lead the nation’s economic recovery. But we are faced with challenges that could seriously impact on our ability to do this. Despite being the nation’s third largest industry, the construction industry consistently has one of the highest rates of insolvencies in Australia, only 12 per cent of our workforce are women, and workers are six times more likely to die from suicide than a workplace incident. Now is the time to address the fundamental issues facing the industry that have also undermined our efforts to build capability and capacity. To do this, we need to shift our thinking of how the construction industry works from an industry made up of defined sectors, tiers and linear supply chains to a highly connected, complex network of suppliers, trades, designers, contractors and clients. We need to take a collaborative approach to delivering projects that focuses on improving productivity and delivering best value not lowest cost. In pursuit of a more sustainable construction industry, the Australian Constructors Association is focused on improving three key pillars of the industry— culture, capacity and capability, and equitable and aligned commercial frameworks. Each of these areas are interconnected—improvement in one requires improvement in all.
Jon Davies, CEO, Australian Constructors Association
Starting with culture, the construction industry is not an employer of choice and, as such, is missing out on employing approximately half the working population—women. That is why the Australian Constructors Association has partnered with the NSW and Victorian governments in the Construction Industry Culture Taskforce. The Taskforce is developing a new industry Culture Standard which is a framework for clients and contractors to work together to improve the culture in our industry. The Culture Standard aims to change the lives of construction workers by ensuring workers are provided adequate time to rest and pursue life activities outside of work; the occupational health and mental wellbeing of construction workers is prioritised; and the industry can attract and retain a more diverse range of workers. Once finalised, governments will be called upon to incorporate the Culture Standard into their standard procurement requirements to ensure we have the right skills in our industry and to address cultural issues. Moreover, the Australian Constructors Association has been advocating for the Federal Government to lead reforms to improve productivity through the way governments procure and deliver projects. Improvements to government buying practices provide an enormous opportunity drive innovation including technology adoption, to reduce environmental impacts, to create local job opportunities, and to reduce life cycle costs. Further, they can have a significant impact on the way the industry collaborates and the culture within the industry. With productivity growth over the last 30 years trailing other significant industries by 25 per cent, a halving of this gap would generate savings of $15 billion a year. Productivity can be addressed by improving the culture and diversity of the industry and increasing innovation and use of digital tools, but this will require reform—and it needs to involve all levels of government and industry.
Visit constructors.com.au for more information.
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10 tips for business success in 2022 The impact of COVID-19 has forced many business owners and managers to rethink their business strategy, objectives and goals.
By Nicholas Guest As business owners grappled with the complexities of maintaining cashflow, keeping employees safe, managing supply chain challenges, and meeting evolving customer needs, they have been forced to innovate and evolve what they do in a rapidly evolving business landscape. This year will provide plenty of opportunities for Australian business operators who are prepared to continue to evolve and embrace the changing market conditions. We have set out below some strategies and observations that may help set you up for success in 2022.
1. Set goals and celebrate your success Take the time to sit down and set some realistic goals around what success looks like for you over the next 12 months. The process for setting goals typically starts with a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis leading into ways to measure outcomes and take ownership for achieving your goals. This does not need to be complicated and kick-starting the process will not only motivate you to strive for these goals, but it will also help focus your attention on what is important to you (why you do what you do) and may see you revisit the business’s purpose. Make sure to celebrate your wins along the way, no matter how small.
2. Spend more time on the business not in it
Identify the tasks that are of lower value and can be delegated to others. As a business owner/operator your priority should be to work on the business as well as in it.
Nicholas Guest, Partner, Advisory, HLB Mann Judd
This includes setting the business vision and taking actions leading to greater success. If you are spending a large chunk of your time working in the business, it is important that you prioritise valuable time each week to focus on enhancing the business operations. This may be as little as a few dedicated hours each week that are quarantined to working on actions to assist in achieving the most important strategic priorities of the business. While counter intuitive, finding and investing in this time away from the daily operations can lead to improved business performance, success, and enjoyment as a business owner/operator.
3. Ensure your housekeeping is in order To ensure you have access to accurate, reliable, and timely information, invest in technology or process improvement. There have been radical advances in low-cost solutions that can strengthen your competitive position supporting good financial controls and accounting processes. Access to high quality information supports agile decision-making and provides greater optionality to business operators to respond to opportunities including access to financing or incentives, customer/supplier contracting and succession options.
4. Innovate and evolve
The global pandemic has demonstrated how agile we can be when we need to. Take the best of your organisational learnings from the pandemic and identify further opportunities to innovate and evolve your business. Are there opportunities to automate repetitive tasks and processes so your employees can
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focus on more important areas for your customers? Nimbleness and out-of-the-box thinking is what has saved some businesses and allowed others to flourish in new markets during the pandemic. Promoting and developing a culture of innovation not only helps to solve complex issues but also helps to maximise opportunities and encourages the organisation to take calculated risks. Things to consider include improvements to customer service, revamping internal processes, or introducing new products or services in the market.
restrictions which may place added pressure on cash reserves. It would be prudent to maintain a higher level of cash on hand (or have access to cash) where possible. This may be achieved by tightening debtor collection timeframes, management of supplier payment terms and/or having access to bank finance facilities. Having access to cash in times of uncertainty may allow you to quickly take advantage of new business opportunities and also provide some ability to retain key staff and sustain the business through challenging trading periods.
5. Do more with your best clients and customers
9. Do more of what you love
The businesses that have been able to navigate the pandemic successfully often are the ones that have developed stronger relationships with their customers. Going the extra mile to assist and support your key customers especially during the pandemic or post pandemic recovery can strengthen customer loyalty and have long lasting benefits to your relationships and business.
6. Retain and develop your best staff
A business is only as good as its employees who embody your mission, work with passion, and represent your brand in the best possible manner. Employee retention is without a doubt a key area of focus for many businesses as staff have reconsidered their priorities in life. Identify and recognise top performing staff in your business, and work with them to understand their key motivational drivers — whether that be continued learning, career development, or achieving lifestyle goals. Work together to develop objectives and career plans for these individuals. Simply having a shared vison and positive business culture can have a huge impact on employee motivation, performance and retention. Having high quality and motivated employees also enhances your ability to attract new staff.
7. Collaborate to succeed
The pandemic has highlighted the importance and benefits of a strong supportive community and network. Identify the business partners (suppliers, customers, service providers) you work with the best. Businesses with great stakeholder relationships where you can depend on each other and draw on each other’s knowledge, skills and strengths to achieve common goals, are often the most profitable and successful. Identify these key relationships within your community and work together to achieve mutual success.
8. Cash is king
It is critical you continue to focus on the free cashflow within your business. We anticipate that 2022 will continue to see some challenges to the usual market operating cycles, this includes delays in supply chain, potential for localised lockdowns and other health order
You spend a large portion of your time working in your business supporting customers and staff. It’s important that you identify and strategically plan to spend time doing the things that bring you joy. Whether this be within your business, hobbies, community activities, interests outside the business or time with family and friends. Ensure your plans for 2022 will see you spending more time on the activities you love. Achieving this balance will ensure you are motivated to drive your business to greater success.
10. Plan for your future
As we enter 2022, it is an opportunity to take some time out from the business to consider your longer-term personal goals. This may include stepping back, retirement or exiting from the business. Proactively mapping out your personal plan helps to focus on your ‘why’. It is critically important that you plan for a future exit from your business in advance to ensure that you can both maximise your profits while running the business but also set the business and yourself up for success after your exit. This may include ensuring that you have identified succession plans in place for your and your key staff. We have observed that business owners who actively plan for their future exit from their business achieve greater success on transition of leadership roles and a greater return from the eventual sale of their business. There is no better time than now to set you and your business up for success in 2022. HLB Mann Judd are a strategic partner of the Hire and Rental Industry Associations and work with business owners and operators to assist them achieve their strategic objectives and maximise the performance of their business. We provide a range of tailored solutions to businesses within the industry ranging from establishing strategic plans, business transformation, succession planning, accounting and taxation compliance, and transaction advisory, among others, to assist these businesses in their journey.
For a complimentary business diagnostic review, contact Kim Kelloway on 02 9020 4285 or kkelloway@hlbnsw.com.au.
FEBRUARY 2022
INDUSTRY NEWS
Getting ‘on the tools’ to build positive youth futures Thirty Brisbane CEOs and business leaders picked up tools and took lessons in bike building from teens involved with local charity, TRACTION in their recent ‘CEO Bike Build’. Together, they raised over $100,000, helping 50 more young people access the programs, which help them build resilience and stay in school. Kennards Hire, GM Queensland, Matt Hardy, took part in this popular fundraiser. The event, held last September, was a unique opportunity for businesses to connect directly with the young people supported by TRACTION, as each business leader worked side-byside with a young person to complete the bike build. Kennards Hire connected with TRACTION earlier this year as one of the Kennards Hire Foundation partners and was quick to get on board this fundraising initiative. “Taking part in the Bike Build with Alex, one of TRACTION’s participants, was a fantastic experience.
Business leaders connect with local youths for hands-on projects at TRACTION events
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I came away with a greater appreciation of the important role TRACTION plays in my community helping young people develop resilience, stay in school and explore career pathways. “Getting on the tools and spending time working with Alex and being able to share my experience along with other Queensland business leaders made for an inspiring day.” Queensland TRACTION CEO and Founder, Sandy Murdoch, says we all have a part to play to ensure the next generation has the skills they need to thrive in work and life. “One in 10 are disengaged from education, training and employment. That rate is higher still in low-socio economic areas. Through TRACTION programs, and events like The CEO Bike Build, we show young people that there are many adults in the community who care, and who want to help young people succeed with their goals,” he said.
Find out more at www.traction. community
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Innovators connecting systems A tech partnership has hastened the digital future of rental. The first question clients have for technology innovators in the hire market is “will it work with my existing platforms?” The key to successful software integration is in collaboration, creating outcomes greater than the sum of each part. Two exciting companies in the hire and rental industry have combined their powers to create even more innovative, cutting edge solutions that customers like working with. Point of Rental and Teletrack first started working together in 2020 with a mutual client, Botany Access. The market-leading innovations between the two include deep API integrations with Point of Rental’s rental ERP Syrinx and Teletrack’s cloud based telematics system. Teletrack was founded by Cade Robinson and Alex Stewart, both with backgrounds in understanding the challenges of managing large fleets and the technology required to keep them under control. Their Australian owned, operated and developed telematics and job site safety management solutions go much further than basic tracking. Teletrack is an enterprise solution provider, but has the speed and nimbleness to rapidly create new, customised functionality to the cloud based platform on a daily basis. Their expert knowledge, professional service and customised approach mean that regaining control of your equipment and making data-driven decisions has never been easier.
Teletrack’s technology
Teletrack’s technology has disrupted the market by ensuring the safe management of job sites, and the protection of equipment. This means fewer accidents and damages, as well as full visibility and control maintained at all times. Industry leaders have found measurable benefits and return on investment by deploying Teletrack’s services largely for these reasons. Safe job site management is enforced by a smart phone based pre-start program, mechanically integrated into machinery and equipment to immobilise until the operator’s competencies and the machine’s condition has been checked and verified. Geofencing, remote
immobilisation and usage tracking are all additional to the groundbreaking pre-start system, enabling Teletrack’s rental partners many wins in becoming exclusive machinery providers for job sites.
Point of Rental service integrations
Point of Rental and Teletrack have partnered to bring data to job sites in order for operators and safety managers to manage compliance. An AEMPv2 integration allows telematics data from the asset captured by the Teletrack system, such as location and asset hours, to upload into the Point of Rental Syrinx system. Syrinx also includes a maintenance module, so the service team will be fully aware of any assets approaching the need for a service or three monthly inspections. The service history is then accessible via the Teletrack QR code. Teletrack’s directors believe that Syrinx’s highly functional system pairs perfectly with the Teletrack platform to fully digitise and automate all aspects for rental companies. So sure is this belief that dedicated software engineering resources and funding have been allocated towards bringing their vision to life this year.
Plugging rental leakage
Teletrack and Point of Rental’s deep hire contract integrations are being completed in stages to ensure
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“It was clear to us that the Teletrack and Syrinx had the potential to be a match made in heaven. Ultimately, software is about automation, so we’re always looking for opportunities to reduce manual input, streamline processes, save money, reduce error and improve productivity. That’s exactly what our collaboration with Teletrack does. Importantly, the values of both firms were aligned, which are squarely aimed at helping customers optimise their assets to the full and improve the performance of their businesses.” – Dave Cameron, Managing Director APAC Point of Rental Software
airtight workflows. The results of these integrations are the prevention of contract breaches, as well as increasing the profitability and safe use of your fleet.
Stage 1:
Automatic reports will be generated to the hire controller, detailing any unauthorised weekend usage, stand down or other usage breaches when an asset is off hire. These reports are so specific that they’ll pinpoint the exact user breaching the contract, so you can get straight to the point.
Stage 2:
Integrated reports will allow easy billing. When breaches are detected, Teletrack will update the hire contract in Syrinx to be able to invoice the offending company for breaches with specific evidence at hand.
The digital future of rental
One of the many future plans for collaboration between Point of Rental and Teletrack is providing automatic customer access to Teletrack. A hire company using Syrinx and Teletrack can send their customers a text message with login details to access the telematics. Their account will manage and oversee all assets fitted with a Teletrack tracking unit. The aim is to reduce the time sales and support people spend managing
customers, and instead providing customers with easier and quicker solutions. The digital future of rental is accessible to operators by scanning Teletrack QR codes. The system gives managers the ability to on and off hire, schedule deliveries and pickups, report damage, schedule service calls, sign hire contracts, pay for usage and more. As Teletrack continues to grow in its mission to improve the safe management of job sites through their innovations, so does the potential for even more future collaborations with Point of Rental. Get in touch with Teletrack or Point of Rental today for innovative solutions tailored to improve your business!
Teletrack Enquiries: +61 2 8279 2727 Email: info@teletrack.app Website: teletrack.app Address: 1/8 Dyer Cres, West Gosford NSW 2250 Point of Rental Enquiries: +61 3 8518 4296 Sales: +61 3 8593 8901 Website: point-of-rental.com/au/ Address: 4/23 Gipps St, Collingwood VIC 3066
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Hire&Rental
INDUSTRY NEWS
FEBRUARY 2022
How to create a B2B Brand Strategy Defining your brand with care can improve marketplace recognition and express a company’s reputation at a glance. Karl Boothroyd explains the three parts of a comprehensive brand strategy. One of a company’s greatest assets is its brand. In a sector where safety risks and machine failure can be an impediment to your reputation, the brands that you invest in can provide added security, reassurance and importantly, peace of mind. A brand gives a business its identity and helps shape customers’ perceptions and connections to that company’s products or services. It’s little wonder then that businesses invest heavily in nurturing and growing their brands, continually monitoring them to ensure they continue to reflect the intent and positioning of the organisation.
Defining your B2B Brand Strategy Project Intent
For most companies, there’s a goal of growing the brand and fostering stronger connections with existing users and prospective customers, by moving from awareness of the brand, to being more engaged as passionate users and advocates. There is a massive difference with regards to project activities and goals between low/no and high awareness brands. Think of the brand strategy goals
and activities between a new Chinese entrant in earthmoving equipment and CAT.
Phase 1 – Research and Insights
Every B2B branding strategy project needs to commence with having a deep understanding of the current situation. So, we need to engage the target audience and other stakeholders – staff, resellers, influencers etc, to understand what’s important to them so we ensure our brand strategy aligns with the target audience. It’s a waste of marketing effort and money promoting a value proposition that has no appeal to your target audience. We do this research phase through whatever means suit each project and this typically includes; • Employee interviews with a cross section of staff including managerial, operational, sales, service and customer support personnel • On-line survey via eDM invitation to selected end user database contacts and social media users • Site visits • Mystery shop of competitors and resellers
ire and ental ndustry ssociation
WHY HIRE FROM A HRIA MEMBER
By choosing to hire from a HRIA member you are ensuring the best possible hire experience. • HRIA Members will recommend the right equipment for your job • HRIA Members can provide instruction on use of the equipment • All equipment hired by HRIA members is thoroughly checked and maintained prior to each hire and electrically tested and tagged where needed
• HRIA members follow all Workplace Health and Safety requirements and have access to the latest safety legislation – ensuring the highest standard of safety for employees and hirers of equipment • Hiring from an HRIA member ensures equipment reliability and efficiency • HRIA members are committing to a code of ethics
WITH OVER 500 CORPORATE MEMBERS, YOU WILL BE SURE TO FIND A HRIA MEMBER NEAR YOU. For more information or to join the HRIA visit www.hireandrental.com.au
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Hire&Rental
INDUSTRY NEWS
FEBRUARY 2022
at left, the pyramid lists key attributes of the brand under a number of categories including: Essence, Values, Personality, Emotional Rewards, Functional benefits and Physical Attributes. What do people think when they see the brand? What do you want them to think when they see the brand?
Developing a B2B Brand Statement
With all the brand’s defining characteristics and attributes now in hand, we can proceed to develop the brand statement, drawing on the themes from the brand pyramid and value proposition. A brand statement is a short, one or two sentence summary of what the company does, how it does it, and what is unique about the way it goes about its business. Quite simply, it’s like an elevator pitch to tell a customer what the business is all about. It should answer – why is your product or service different to your competitors and why should the audience care? Does your value proposition satisfy their needs?
Phase 3 – The Creative Challenge
The next phase involves communicating the brand message to the desired audiences. In developing the creative approach, a brand should set its sights to: • Differentiation • Engagement • Being genuine • Communicating simply • Communicating in the right tone for the audience • Achieving cut through • Make the user the hero End user research also provides us important insights including details covering: • Product or service usage characteristics • Product or service perception among users • Location and other demographic intelligence of respondents • Types of products/services used and owned • How they would describe the brand • Attributes to describe the brand • Any hesitations about using the product or service • Information around improving the product or service user experience In this research phase we would also typically review customer touchpoints like collateral, reference materials, digital assets and store/dealership outlets.
Phase 2 – Defining your B2B Brand
Once the research has been undertaken and reviewed, the next step is to define the brand. A number of frameworks can be used for building out and defining the brand – one useful framework is the brand identity pyramid. As you can see in the illustration
Developing the ‘Big Thought’
The creative process will go through iterations of messages and key statements to distil the idea into a key thought. The big creative thought must be large enough to extend across all of the key target audiences. For B2B this means a number of roles which could be made up of: end users, resellers and distributors, specifiers and staff. The various touch points – whilst executed differently – will all align to this single-minded idea.
Karl Boothroyd is CEO of leading B2B marketing company IMA, who count some of the Rental Industry’s most successful brands among their clients; Karl was the former Group GM of the Powerlift Group and former Sales and Marketing Manager Century Batteries. If you’re looking to develop a new brand platform, or refresh an existing platform, please contact IMA info@imab2b.com – 02 4627 8011
ire and ental ndustry ssociation
HRIA REFERRAL PROGRAM
Help us build a stronger hire industry Are you working for a HRIA member?
For every business you refer that joins the HRIA, we will reward you with a $50 gift card. Just make sure that the business mentions your name when they complete their application. The more businesses who become members of the HRIA the stronger and more influential the industry
becomes. Our existing members know how important it is to be a member of the HRIA – so help us get the message out. The more businesses you refer the more you are rewarded. Start referring other hire businesses now.
Visit www.hireandrental.com.au/hria-referral-program for more details. Terms and conditions apply – visit www.hireandrental.com.au/hria-referral - program for complete details.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Debt recovery – refresher on managing your debtors By Sharon Levy, Partner and Scott Homan, Associate Bartier Perry Lawyers
It is important for businesses to understand not only how to manage their debt, but also what options are available for those debtors who simply will not pay up. In this article, we step through various debt recovery options and when each might be suitable for businesses in the hire and rental industry.
Letter of Demand
The first step in any debt recovery process will usually be a formal letter of demand. The purpose of these letters is to clearly and concisely set out: • the basis for the debt (such as an invoice or contractual right to payment); • the amount of the debt; and • a demand for payment within a set period of time. A letter of demand can be issued by either the creditor itself or otherwise an advisor such as a solicitor, with the latter often carrying more weight. Consideration should also be given to the parties’ ongoing contractual relationship, including whether an additional demand for the return of hired goods can be included in the letter and whether there is a contractual basis to give written notice to terminate any hire agreement. The letter of demand is an important and costefficient tool to recover an outstanding debt, as it can cause the debtor to take the matter seriously and make payment (or arrange to make payment). It will also assist to ground a right to take self-help steps to recover any equipment subject to the hire arrangement which can be an important option to manage debt in these circumstances. Even if the debtor does not make payment, the failure to meet a formal demand can be important for any future litigation in demonstrating that the debt
FEBRUARY 2022
Managing debt is an integral part of any business and has come into particular focus in recent times as a result of the COVID-19 impacted economy.
remains due and payable and can also be an important factor in claiming the costs of proceedings.
Statutory Demand
If the debt is $4,000 or greater, an alternative to a letter of demand is to issue a statutory demand to the debtor, provided the debtor is a company. Statutory demands can be a powerful tool as a failure by a debtor to comply with the demand creates a presumption of insolvency against the recipient company. However, a statutory demand should never be used if you think there is a ‘genuine dispute’ over the debt (or offsetting claim), even if you think you would likely succeed on any adjudication of the debt. A court will only consider whether there appears to be a genuine dispute at face value, it is not required to determine the merits of that dispute. For this reason, statutory demands are the most effective in situations where a judgment has already been obtained, and the demand is used as an enforcement tool. The Corporations Act and Regulations prescribe the form and requirements for a statutory demand. If the debt is not a judgment debt, the statutory demand must be accompanied by an affidavit attesting that: a. the debt is due and payable; and b. there is no genuine dispute about the debt. From the date of service of the statutory demand, the creditor has 21 days to make payment, failing which the debtor will be deemed insolvent unless it applies to a court to have the demand set aside. The advantage of a statutory demand is that it carries more weight than a simple letter of demand. Once served, the debtor is required to either meet the demand or apply to set it aside. Failure to comply with the demand allows the creditor to make an application to the court to wind up the debtor in insolvency.
Alternative dispute resolution
In any debt dispute, there may be benefit in exploring
FEBRUARY 2022
early alternative dispute resolution. Examples can include negotiation, mediation or arbitration. By engaging in these processes early, the parties have an opportunity to ventilate the issues in dispute to try and achieve an outcome without having to resort to the costly and time consuming process of formal debt recovery proceedings. This can be particularly important for businesses in the hire and rental industry, as the ongoing nature of equipment hire agreements can render the maintenance of the commercial relationship between the parties a compelling reason to resolve disputes amicably where possible. In considering whether alternative dispute resolution might be advantageous, it is important to consider the amount of the debt, the likely costs to be involved in any recovery proceedings and the importance of recovering some (if not all) of the amount owing in a timely fashion. Additionally, if a debt is based in contract, it may be a requirement of that agreement that the parties engage in a form of alternative dispute resolution before recovery proceedings can be commenced in court. It may be that in a negotiation or mediation, the parties can reach a settlement which, although it represents a payment of an amount below that which is owing, avoids the time and cost of recovery proceedings. An advantage of alternative dispute resolution is that it can be tailored to suit the needs of the parties (subject to the requirements of any contract or applicable regime which specifies the method to be used). It can be as informal as a phone call between the parties or a round table negotiation, or it can also be a more formal mediation or arbitration, both of which introduce independent third parties and will often involve the parties’ legal representatives. Although it appears that we can see light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, we encourage our clients to continue to carefully monitor their debtors and take the necessary steps to manage their cash flows in
INDUSTRY NEWS
Hire&Rental
25
this uncertain market. Alternative dispute resolution plays an important role in balancing the time and legal cost of formally pursuing debts against the benefit of obtaining a quick and easy solution that meets the interests of all parties.
Recovery Proceedings
Finally, if a letter of demand is not answered, and if alternative dispute resolution is engaged but not successful, the creditor should promptly consider commencing recovery proceedings in the relevant court in the state or territory with appropriate jurisdiction. Once a claim is filed, the debtor will be required to file and serve a defence within a set period of time, failing which you may be entitled to file for default judgment. Further, if a defence is filed but does not disclose any proper legal basis to dispute the claim, you may be able to apply to strike out the defence and obtain summary judgment. Alternatively, if a defence is filed with an arguable basis for resisting the claim, the parties will be required to each prepare and serve evidence in support of their respective cases. The court will then be required to determine the claim and enter judgment for either the claimant or debtor. In our experience, recovery proceedings are lengthy (often between nine and 12 months between commencement and a hearing as a minimum). Recovery proceedings will require a filing fee on application (which varies depending on the jurisdiction) in addition to any legal costs you may incur. It is therefore important to carefully consider the cost of commencing proceedings as against the likelihood of success and the amount of the debt to be recovered.
If you require assistance with the debt recovery process, please reach out to our team at Bartier Perry.
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Hire&Rental
INDUSTRY NEWS
FEBRUARY 2022
Waimea Australia launch Waimea has crossed the ditch from New Zealand to supply the Australian arbor and utilities industries with single source vehicle mounted specialist equipment. A new company has hit the Australian market with a large range of Truck Mounted EWPs for sale or hire. With popular brands such as GSR and Versalift, the Waimea team are certain to have a cherry picker to suit your requirements. With insulated and non-insulated models, Waimea Group have been operating in New Zealand for over 40 years, and have now launched their range into Australia. Models range from 14m to 36m working height, with a wide selection of telescopic and knuckle boom configurations.
Fit for purpose turnkey trucks make a key contribution to maintaining infrastructure across Australia Most models can be mounted to either a 2WD or 4WD chassis, with a choice of options such as aluminium or steel tray body, toolboxes, cab roof protection, radio control operation, and more. Sales, hire, lease, hire to own – the choice is yours. Waimea Australia’s commitment is to provide the right equipment at the right time through their flexible model to support your workload. In the volatility of today’s market, Waimea realises the need to remain flexible and provide the ability to adapt without committing to capital expenditure that is not optimised. Waimea Australia have well established national service support in every major centre, including through the Access Service Australia network, to ensure whether you’re located from Cairns to Karratha, Perth to Hobart, or anywhere in between, they’re there to help. The Waimea ecosystem of support services ensures they can tailor a product to suit your business.
A fit-for-purpose Waimea Australia truck at work
Lifetime support of the product ensures your focus stays on the job at hand. From order through to delivering a fit for purpose specialist truck that immediately gets to work in your business, Waimea Australia have got a winning formula. This process involves many years’ experience in weight ratios, stability, certification, compliance and actual hands-on knowledge of how these specialist trucks are used in the field and the ergonomics involved in a build. As approved distributers for world leading global brands, we source specialist units direct from the factory and build onto Australian chassis with all elements of the build such as hydraulics, electrics, painting and assembly being conducted from Waimea’s skilled inhouse resources. High quality, fully compliant and fit for purpose turnkey trucks make a key contribution to maintaining infrastructure across Australia in arbor, power distribution, broadband, water and other core utility applications.
Contact the team at Waimea Australia to learn more – trucks@waimea.net.au or 02 8610 5601.
MONTH 2021 VOLUME27 22 NO. X
FEBRUARY 2022 VOLUME 23 NO. 3
FEATURES
33 JLG expands its compact crawler range
30 TSHA’s 10th anniversary
34 Brooks Hire launches access division
42 Nifty looks back on 21 years in Aus
39 EWPA conducts audit training
Access in Action
28
FEBRUARY 2022
Contents
ELEVATING WORK PLATFORM ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INC ABN 32 545 830 419 EWPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
TSHA President’s message Haulotte’s SIGMA 16 lands in Australia BROOKS Hire expands into access JLG grows Compact Crawler Boom range A new era for tracked aerial platforms Auditor appointed to assess Yellow and Gold card training standards Bluelift SA11 Spider Lift Nifty celebrates 21 years in Australia LGMG enters the Australian market
30 32 34 36 38 39 40 42 44
President Doug Rawlings Tel: 08 9350 5700 Vice President Tim Nuttall Tel: 03 9547 7700 Past President Rick Mustillo Tel: 02 9817 7610 Chief Executive Officer James Oxenham Tel: 02 9998 2222 Operations Manager: Scott Mundy Tel: 02 9998 2222 NSW President: John Glover Tel: 0419 663 863 VIC President: Keith Clarke Tel: 0400 369 900 QLD President: Richard Gannon Tel: 0437 477 279 SA President: Jason Gaskin Tel: 08 8179 6700 WA President: Will Reilly Tel: 0408 474 261 TECHNICAL DIRECTOR – OPERATIONS Peter Davis, Tel: 02 8796 50551 TECHNICAL DIRECTOR – ENGINEERING Peter Wenn, Tel: 03 9568 7211 COMMITTEE Luke Schubert, Tel: 0458 770 002 Bob Mules, Tel: 0402 982 999 James Nightingale, Tel: 1800 457 145
34 TELESCOPIC HANDLER ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA (TSHA) PRESIDENT: Stuart Walker Tel: 0418 849 107
39 40
42
42
MONTH 2021 22 VOLUME27 NO. X
FEBRUARY 2022 VOLUME 23 NO. 3
On the cover
FEATURES
30 TSHA’s 10th anniversar 42 Nifty looks back on 21 years in Aus
y
crawler range 33 JLG expands its compact access division 34 Brooks Hire launches training 39 EWPA conducts audit
Celebrating 21 Years in Australia. Our cover features Nifty’s latest Narrow Electric range platform, winner of last year’s IAPA Product of the Year Award. See page 42 to read all about Nifty’s 21 years in Australia.
EWPA & TSHA PO Box 1304, Mona Vale NSW 1660 Tel: 02 9998 2222 Email: info@ewpa.com.au Web: www.ewpa.com.au Opinions published in Hire & Rental Magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the association or the Editor. The HRIA accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any information contained in this magazine and readers should rely upon their own enquiries in making decisions related to their own interest. All rights reserved. ISSN 1838-1197
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ELECTRIC ARTICULATING BOOM SIGMA 16 PRO Compact and agile Best in class working envelope Jib with horizontal rotation
haulotte.com.au
HAULOTTE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, 51 Portlink Drive, Dandenong South - VIC - 3175 Australia Tel.: 1300 207 683 - sales@haulotte.com
30
Access in Action
TSHA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
FEBRUARY 2022
Telescopic Handler Association celebrates 10-year anniversary
President’s message
BY STUART WALKER TSHA PRESIDENT
February 2022 marks ten years since formation of the Telescopic Handler Association of Australia (TSHA).
In 2012, the organisation was developed from a professional committee within the Elevating Work Platform Association (EWPA), into a separate division. At that time, the practice of using attachments with telescopic handlers, originally designed as variable reach forklifts, was enabling their use in non-traditional applications. “Convening the TSHA was a world first,” said TSHA CEO James Oxenham. “The committee had recognised the potential for safety risks as the equipment’s versatility led to its use in ways outside of those originally intended in the 1990s when first launched. There was a good case for formalising and unifying education about compliance, safety and maintenance.” Today, the TSHA provides accredited safety documentation, produces instructional videos, professional guides, and offers Gold Card training. Its members receive business support, networking opportunities and industry representation to government. “Since the training was updated in 2014, more than 14,000 Gold Cards have been issued by the TSHA for use in construction, manufacturing, agriculture, transport, warehousing, infrastructure, earthworks, waste and recycling,” said James Oxenham “and we have 60 trainers available nationally to train operators.” Collaboration with associations such as the Queensland and Victorian Farmers’ Federations has contributed to the TSHA’s growth and reputation and as a result, both organisations have produced excellent guidance on the safe use of telehandlers in the agricultural sector. The agriculture industry also reached out to the TSHA when they faced issues with a regulator’s training requirements. The TSHA
worked closely with the Victorian Farmers Federation to highlight training issues and provide solutions for WorkSafe Victoria to consider. The process is ongoing and the TSHA is hopeful a workable solution, that provides industry specific training, will be the outcome of their consultation with the state government authority later this year. A notable milestone for the TSHA was the production of its Good Practice Guide. Freely available online, this is the most comprehensive guidance the Association has produced. The guide helps telehandler users quickly reference the latest information available relating to legislation, safe work practice, planning work, machine design, transportation, fixed and freely suspended loads, maintenance and training. “Today, the TSHA is Australia’s primary resource centre for lifting and materials handling information, and a dependable niche educator for improving safety and productivity within the many industries that depend on using these highly versatile machines,” said TSHA President, Stuart Walker. “We remain committed to representing members’ interests in the pursuit of a selfregulated industry for telescopic handlers with a focus on safety through education and by defining effective formal standards that help prevent injuries and maximise productivity.” In 2022 we look forward to expanding the reach of the TSHA, further clarifying training and licencing requirements and ongoing consultation with industry stakeholders.
For more information, visit www.tsha.com.au
RUTHMANN BLUELIFT SA11 TRACKED SPIDER LIFT HYDRAULIC CONTROLS | SELF-STABILISING SYSTEM | REMOVABLE ALUMINUM BASKET
COMPACT CONVENIENCE Highly manoeuverable in and around in tight areas, the Ruthmann Bluelift SA11 tracked spider lift is easy to move and easy to use. This compact spider lift can fit through single doorways and comes equipped with interlock outriggers and booms. Proportional controls allow this spider lift to be driven from the basket or by cable remote control. The SA11 has a maximum working height of 10.8m with maximum capacity of 230kg for excellent support for work at height. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 1300 900 700 OR VISIT AHERNAUSTRALIA.COM.AU.
www.ahernaustralia.com.au
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Access in Action
Haulotte’s SIGMA 16 lands in Australia Smart design is driving the impact of a flexible new boom. United Forklift and Access Solutions were the first to receive delivery of Sigma 16 electric articulating booms. New to the Haulotte range, they meet all requirements for working at heights of up to 16m. The SIGMA 16 electric articulating boom offers the best in class working envelope on the market. With their high up and over clearance and excellent outreach, the SIGMA 16 easily overcomes obstacles to reach the most remote work areas. The jib with horizontal rotation ensures precise and safe approach without repositioning the machine. Haulotte General Manager, Keith Clarke, explains the benefits for the additional movement flexibility. “This new boom fits nicely into the range because it is so versatile. The ability to move up and down the wall without repositioning is so valuable because it saves time and effort. It means you can paint a wall without moving the machine”, he said. The SIGMA 16 answers the industry’s need for efficiency thanks to its two simultaneous movements and its ultra-fast elevation speed of 90 seconds to full height. The SIGMA 16 models can carry up to 230kg of load and two operators without envelope restriction. It can operate indoors as well as outdoors, on all types of stabilised slab floors, thanks to its wide, solid, and notched tyres and its high ground clearance (17 cm). The homogeneous tilt (of four degrees, no matter the boom orientation) makes it easy to reach the work zone without machine repositioning and time lost. Andrew MacDonald, the National Product Manager for United Forklift and Access Solutions, explains what they are looking forward to with this new machine. “It is a versatile machine that is suitable for indoors or out. It features all the Haulotte innovations and design benefits that make them world-leading. It is a high quality, well-engineered design, thoroughly thought out in terms of functionality and service access. Haulotte continue to build class-leading equipment and this is the reason why we chose to partner with them”, said Andrew.
FEBRUARY 2022
Agility in all situations
The SIGMA 16 is perfect to work in confined spaces. It operates without any risk of damaging the surrounding environment as the turret stays within the chassis footprint while rotating. Thanks to a compact footprint and narrow turning radius, operators can easily manoeuvre in the tightest spaces. It features asynchronous motors and proportional controls which ensure smooth and fluid movements. The ergonomic control box is like the one used in the rest of the Haulotte RTJ range so is familiar and comfortable.
Increased comfort and safety
The SIGMA 16 can be equipped with both a front and lateral door for easy entry and a robust tool tray providing a large storage capacity. Driving safety is improved with the centred boom arm. For better safety and stability, the driving speed automatically adjusts during turns and on slopes. Haulotte’s exclusive anti-entrapment system Haulotte Activ’Shield Bar is available on the SIGMA 16. In case of entrapment, the operator is pushed towards the bar integrated into the upper box cover, and the machine stops automatically. The Safety Gap allows a large clearance, preventing driver entrapment. The integrated, high performance, Haulotte Activ’Lighting System, supports safe maneuvers, especially in low light conditions. Ten low energy consumption LED spotlights perfectly light up the machine controls and surrounding areas for easy loading and unloading operations.
Design and serviceability
Battery optimisation, smart engineering, digital controls and rigorous endurance testing contributed to reducing the SIGMA 16’s total cost of ownership and reduced downtime. A smart charger adapts the charging curve and integrates specific cycles dedicated to battery maintenance. To ensure optimal battery health, customers can opt for a centralised waterfilling system. Power consumption is further optimised by gravity platform lowering. The SIGMA 16’s design separates electric and hydraulic elements for easy maintenance. Hose routing has been carefully engineered to avoid friction and leakage, and the AC motor doesn’t need regular maintenance. Reinforced hoods with wide openings give direct access to components. Machine settings are controlled on a large screen via the Haulotte Activ’Screen interface. It displays onboard diagnostics and detailed troubleshooting procedures to the operator, with technicians able to remotely access telematics and data via an app, to assess for solutions that minimise callouts.
JLG COMPACT CRAWLER BOOMS.
ACCESS MORE PLACES AND TIGHTER SPACES. INDOORS OR OUTSIDE.
+
= 230 kg
Working Height up to
= 32.48m
Working Outreach up to
= 16.65m
Jib Range of Articulation*
Bi-Energy
= 180˚(+85/-95˚) = Lithium/Diesel
X33J PLUS
Whether you’re working indoors or outside, the JLG Compact Crawler Boom range has you covered. With a market-leading working envelope, enhanced manoeuvrability and better access; operators have the ability to go more places thanks to its low profile, non-marking tracks and compact dimensions. For effective operation, the compact crawler range has one-touch outrigger leveling and an interactive display in the platform and controls. And because the compact crawler is so lightweight, it can be set up on sensitive flooring and landscaping. Available in five models with working heights ranging from 13.3m to 32.48m and optional market-leading Lithium-ion battery power system for clean, quiet, green operation. *X33J PLUS model
Australia 131 JLG New Zealand - 0800 4 JLG NZ (55469) www.jlg.com.au
X13J PLUS
X17J PLUS / X20J PLUS / X26J PLUS
34
Access in Action
BROOKS Hire expands to access Familiar as Australia’s largest privately owned plant hire company, in 2021 Brooks Hire introduced a new division, Brooks Access. Client demand for elevated work platforms and access equipment spurred the addition and there has been no pause since.
FEBRUARY 2022
Brooks sourced industry expert, Claire Harrison to manage the Access division. Claire brings with her a wealth of experience in access equipment. “We have a dedicated team of professionals, from our hire department through to our service department, which allows us to offer our customers a personalised service,” said Claire. “Customer service has always been at the forefront of our business, and it always will be.” Since commencing, Brooks Access has taken delivery of a range of new equipment including articulated booms, telescopic booms, telehandlers, forklifts, and electric and rough terrain scissor lifts. There are now over 100 EWPs in their growing fleet, with new machines being delivered every week. “Since launching, we’ve hit the ground running with machines going out the door as quickly as they come in and utilisation remaining high,” said Claire. “When you hire from Brooks Access, you’ll be getting new machines, with low hours, and the latest safety features. The new division has allowed the Brooks group to become a onestop shop for our clients. I am super excited to see how far we will go over the coming year.”
Find out more at www.brooksaccess.com.au.
NE W
SIMPLY
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Access in Action
FEBRUARY 2022
JLG grows Compact Crawler Boom range The new X26JP Plus is a feature-packed addition to the team. JLG’s range of Compact Crawler Booms has expanded following the release of the new X26JP Plus model, bringing the total number of machines on offer to four. Ideal for a broad scope of applications including arboriculture work, civil, construction and general maintenance duties, the X26JP Plus features the many benefits of JLG’s smaller compact crawler booms, with the added horizontal reach of up to 17.75m. The X26JP Plus also offers an impressive overall platform height of 23.60m (25.60m working height), and a 230kg unrestricted platform capacity, which provides the ability to accommodate a two-person crew and their equipment. The X26JP Plus platform features SkyGuard™ as standard – SkyGuard™ is an innovative JLG proprietary system that automatically stops all machine functions and temporarily reverses them to what they were prior to the system being activated. The benefits of the new machine continue with auto levelling outriggers with integrated lifting lugs – these increase stability and ease of set-up, allowing the model to be operated on slopes of up to 16° and to climb grades of up to 28 per cent. Other features include auto cut-out which actuates when the machine is out of level; emergency descent systems and an envelope management loadsensing system. Despite this impressive functionality, the X26JP Plus still maintains its compact dimensions with a 0.99m wide undercarriage (retracted) and stowed width of just 1.43m (with platform), ensuring the machine remains easy to transport to jobs, is manoeuvrable around work sites and remains compact when stored. Equipped with non-marking rubber tracks, the machine’s weight is evenly distributed across the ground, minimising the likelihood of damage when it’s used on delicate surfaces such as paving, paths and lawned areas.
The X26JP Plus comes with a diesel or electric engine •
The X26JP Plus is available with two power sources that can be selected depending on operator preference or application requirements. The diesel option sees adoption of a modern T4F (Stage 5) Kubota D902 engine which produces 16.1kW (21.6cHP), alternatively the operator can opt for the 100Ah / 83V Lithium-ion electric engine. A major benefit of Lithium-ion power is its quiet operation, meaning this machine is more suitable for use in noise sensitive situations such as residential areas or parks. JLG Industries Marketing and Product Manager – ANZ, Arron Cooper, said the new X26JP Plus further broadened the appeal of JLG’s already popular Compact Crawler Boom range. “The X26JP Plus joins existing X13JP, X17JP and X20JP models in the range, allowing us to offer our customers platform height options spanning from 11.30 to 23.60 metres, and therefore allowing us to cater to a wider range of applications,” Arron said. “Along with the added reach, the X26JP Plus still offers the compact dimensions that many operators are looking for in a Compact Crawler Boom, especially when transporting to and from a job or when negotiating job sites with tighter footprints. “The controls and functions of the X26JP Plus mirror those of the smaller models in the range, that means it’s easy-to-use and high on features – for operators, it also makes for a seamless transition between all machines within the JLG Compact Crawler Boom range. “JLG is looking to further expand the model line-up in early 2022 with the arrival of the X33JP Plus, which will broaden the range’s appeal even more,” Arron said. While similar-sized machines are available in the market, the X13J, X17J, X20J and X26JP Plus models are the only ones that are offered by a major supplier, meaning owners and operators can rely on the superior back-up and support they’ve come to know from JLG. With strategically-located branches throughout Australia and New Zealand as well as a fleet of field service vehicles, JLG’s service and support extends well beyond both countries’ major metropolitan centres to more remote rural and regional areas. For greater convenience, JLG also offers scheduled maintenance programs. These packages can be customised to suit the application and customer requirements, effectively transferring the responsibility of the maintenance process to JLG for a competitivelypriced fixed fee, providing owners with enhanced cashflow, budget control and of course, more time. The new X26J Plus is backed by JLG’s ‘1 & 5’ warranty which provides a full year of coverage on the complete machine, plus five years’ coverage on all specified major structural components.
For further details on the new X26J Plus model and other JLG products, please visit: www.jlg.com.au
FEBRUARY 2022
INDUSTRY NEWS
Access in Action
Max Working Height 16m Max Outreach 8.5m Total Weight 3850kg Ultrasonic Anti-Collision System BI-LEVELLING TECHNOLOGY Longitudinal Levelling +/- 15° Lateral Levelling +/- 15°
0402 982 999
Call today for a no-obligation discussion.
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Access in Action
FEBRUARY 2022
A new era for tracked aerial platforms As AlmaCrawler continue their research and development into new technologies, the hire and rental industry now benefits from an innovative, patented machine functionality, Bi-Levelling. Italy-based AlmaCrawler has evolved the capabilities of access equipment beyond traditional aerial platform designs to revolutionise access in normally difficult places. The patented technology, bi-levelling, is installed on all lifts produced by AlmaCrawler. Coupled with anti-collision detection technology, AlmaCrawler machines are considered one of the safest and most reliable in the world.
What is bi-levelling?
Bi-levelling is a sophisticated system of automated hydraulics allowing access equipment to overcome longitudinal slopes of up to 20 degrees and lateral slopes of up to 15 degrees, depending on model. Auto-levelling of the chassis or aerial structure, even in extreme conditions significantly increases performance, safety, and operator comfort. This innovative technology will overcome many worksite challenges where inclined terrain or multi-level surfaces would otherwise require additional equipment and operators, accompanying safety measures, time and expenses. This unique product capability, with simple user experience, ensures a far greater overall return on investment.
The technical overview
ATHENA Scissor Lifts Three independent hydraulic cylinders mounted in the undercarriage of the scissor lifts achieve automatic levelling for lateral and longitudinal inclination. Using two independent bi-level legs enables unique worksite positioning including, in certain circumstances, operation on multi-level surfaces such as a raised concrete slab or steps. Twin channel inclinometers measure real time chassis inclination and platform height. If the system detects change, an alarm sounds. The system will not permit lifting until the chassis is within the safety of a zero-degree level. JIBBI Boom Lifts Automatic levelling of the JIBBI is completed using a unique dynamic, aerial structure design adjusted at the slew ring base by means of two hydraulic cylinders. Prior to lifting, the automatic levelling program completes adjustment of the aerial structure alone, bringing the inclination to zero-degrees. Isolating this
Bi-levelling is installed on all Almac lifts.
adjustment allows the JIBBI to maintain a fixed and stable undercarriage footprint, while operating on inclines up to 15 degrees in any direction. The JIBBI leveling system uses twin channel inclinometers on all individual moving components. An onboard electronic control unit compiles data in real time during operation monitoring for inclination changes of the chassis and base sensors greater than one degree.
Billennium Spider Lifts
The Billennium is the first spider lift of its type, able to work at height with or without the stabilisers deployed. It uses four hydraulic stablisers to achieve automatic levelling. When operating on longitudinal slopes up to 10 degrees, or lateral slopes of up to five degrees, an operator may choose to work without the stabilisers deployed. This ensures a narrower footprint and allows elevated driving. When working on greater slopes, the stabilisers can be deployed automatically from the operator’s control station, without leaving the platform. The onboard computer system monitors ground pressure of the stabilisers using pressure transducers installed in each stabiliser cylinder. With correct ground pressure set, the cylinders are modulated to obtain zerodegrees of the chassis prior to lifting. A single automatic levelling switch controls the chassis level.
Almac sales network In Australia, United Forklift and Access Solutions are Almac’s national retailer, contact: www.unitedequipment.com.au.
FEBRUARY 2022
Access in Action
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Auditor appointed to assess Yellow and Gold Card training standards In preparation for a busy year of activity, the Elevating Work Platform Association (EWPA) will be undertaking a thorough quality assurance review and audit throughout 2022. The EWPA has engaged specialist, independent auditor, Pamela Martin, who is an accredited auditor with extensive experience in auditing and quality management systems. The audit and review process will not only ensure that there is national consistency in the delivery of the Yellow Card and Gold Card training programs, but also strict compliance with the Accredited Trainers
Manual and Code of Practice. Trainers will be assessed on their expertise in the training program requirements, assessment conditions, instructions, and application requirements. Regularly reviewing training material, trainer credentials and modes of delivery is critical in ensuring that operators are trained to the highest standards available, giving further assurance to employers that they are fulfilling their duty of care obligations under WHS/OHS legislation in the most robust manner. “We are pleased to have engaged an independent external auditor to assist with the legal requirements for the Yellow Card and Gold Card audit procedures so we can begin the important task of reviewing the EPWA and TSHA courses for 2022 and beyond,” said member for the EWPA Board and EWPA training committee, James Nightingale.
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Access in Action
Bluelift SA11 Spider Lift Say ciao to Ahern Australia’s new self-stabilising spider lift. Bluelift produces safe and reliable elevated work platforms that are simple and easy to use. Ahern Australia is the exclusive distributor for the full line of Italian lifts in Australia. These Italian-made spider lifts feature advanced technology, lightweight designs and high performance. The self-stabilising Bluelift SA11 combines a narrow width and lightweight design that is ideal for working in confined spaces both outdoors and indoors. This spider lift is suitable for a wide range of applications, including painting, tree cutting, cleaning agents, electrical, roofing, fire protection and facilities maintenance. Offering the ultimate in versatility, this machine has a multi-area stabiliser setting for three different set-up positions, providing excellent rough terrain performance. Its track width adjusting system has an independent axle and tracks that prevent damage to sensitive flooring. Boasting a 10.8m maximum working height, the SA11 delivers a maximum horizontal outreach of 6.7m with a lift
FEBRUARY 2022
capacity up to 120kg and 5.3m with a lift capacity up to the maximum of 230kg. Featuring a turret rotation of 340°, this spider lift includes automatic center positioning of the turret and a quickly removable aluminum basket. The basket is equipped with a 230V power outlet for working with power tools. A radio remote control includes an interactive and multi-lingual display. A modem connection plug allows for easy diagnosis or software upgrade in the remote. Also included on the SA11 is a patented i-Performing electric pump with auto start/stop system. Proportional and simultaneous electro-hydraulic controls make it easy to operate the proportional track drive with hydraulic braking system. This machine also has a double drive system with safety control and driving lateral slope alarm for climbing gradients up to 28 per cent. The SA11 can be driven with the jib boom raised up to a maximum travel speed of 1.5km/h. The interblock outrigger/boom feature disables outriggers once the boom is in operation. Additional safety features include an emergency push-button with engine stop and a simple emergency lowering procedure. Operators use a hand pump for the emergency lowering of the platform. Weighing 1,375kg, this 11m spider platform can be transported via standard trailer for ease of transportation. The SA11 also includes covers on the outrigger cylinder’s piston rod, oil tank and emergency controls for added protection.
Find out more at www.ahernaustralia.com.au.
FEBRUARY 2022
Are you really covered?
Hire Insurance Brokers are the new preferred insurance provider for HRIA Insurance.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Access in Action
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HRIA Insurance is specifically designed to provide HRIA members with tailored insurance products for their business. As the preferred insurance provider of the HRIA, Hire Insurance Brokers provide added value to members by leveraging expert industry knowledge through direct input from the HRIA and their members, coupled with specialist insurance advice.
For more details or to contact HRIA Insurance visit www.hriainsurance.com.au
The information provided is to be treated as General Insurance Advice only. Your individual personal and financial circumstances have not been taken into account when compiling this information. To obtain a full insurance risk review please contact our office. Please also refer to our Financial Services Guide (FSG) and/or the appropriate Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) if required. The Insurance Broker (NSW) Pty Ltd (TIB) trading as Hire Insurance Brokers takes no responsibility if the information provided here is used inadequately or incorrectly.
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Access in Action
NIFTY
FEBRUARY 2022
Nifty celebrates 21 years in Australia The HRIA Magazine talks to Nifty Australia’s John King about the past 21 years of their success Down Under and we learn how it all began; where the challenges lay; plus a little bit of trivia on the side.
Q: How and when did Nifty launch in Australia?
A: How we came to be in Australia is a bit of a long story. Officially we hit the market for the first time at the 2001 HRIA Convention at Darling Harbour in Sydney. But the back story is the real story. I had been working as a tour guide in South America and South Africa after serving in the British Army when I met an Aussie girl and we decided to give the relationship a go. So I headed home to the UK to get my visas and applications ready for the relocation to Australia. While in London I caught up with an old mate, Tim, from my army days, who at that time was working for Niftylift in the UK. They had been keen to set up an Aussie branch and saw my relocation as an opportunity too good to pass up. So I started working for Niftylift and spent the next seven to nine months waiting for all my paperwork to be approved and learning as much as possible about the company and equipment. Nifty is such a great product and has a solidly defined market and I was sold on moving to Australia. It was a done deal. I arrived in Australia on the opening day of the Olympics in September 2000 and then got busy setting everything up.
Q: What’s been challenging about the journey so far? A: One of the hardest things about setting up was the fact we didn’t know anyone in Australia: not relatives; not businesses; not industry connections; not even
This year marks 21 years of heavy lifting for Nifty
competitors. We really had to start from scratch and learn the ropes on our own. It was really a trial by error approach and pure hard slog – and lots and lots of miles. Our first three machines arrived by container in the first quarter in 2001 and we took those straight to the HRIA Convention at Darling Harbour. Those machines were the tried and true Nifty 120T, the HR12 Narrow; and the 170 Self Drive. (While all three are still in the range today, we sell limited numbers of the 170SD and the HR12 Narrow has now been superceded by a newer model.) After the convention, I just hooked up a trailer mount and drove around the country knocking on doors, showing the machine and showcasing our capabilities. Following the Olympics there was a glut of EWPs and it took time to establish a market. It was a difficult first couple of years. The first sales were hard to get. We were competing with established companies here; going up against competitors as the new player on the block. But then, we got a start in Queensland, establishing a relationship with Queensland Access. And the first Nifty machines in Australia were sold to Hamblin Hire in Albury and Always Hire in Coffs Harbour.
FEBRUARY 2022
NIFTY
After the first few sales, the market saw the value of our product and more doors started to slowly open. The big one was when Kennards Hire came on board after about five or six long years of hard work and lots and lot of driving. This came about because Kennards had inherited some Nifty’s from companies they had bought, and they liked our machines. So they continued to buy Nifty products. That was a big moment for us. About six or seven years into the journey of establishing Nifty in Australia, we found some land in Newcastle and built a workshop which seemed like it would do us for years to come. (Two years later we needed to double the size of the workshop and premises to accommodate our growth.) At that time, we started taking on staff members to help with the number of sales and deliveries and in about 2006-2007 we exchanged our initially developed state-based sales agents for our own sales force. This enabled us to better manage and personalise our service and tailor our options to our customer’s needs. Nowadays we still have one great service agent in South Australia in Ben Pritchard at BPF Equipment.
Q: If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself at the outset of the Nifty Australia journey?
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A: Don’t do it! Hahaha. No seriously, it would be to tell myself: don’t sweat the small stuff; you know, all those niggly little issues that keep you up at night but in the end really aren’t that important. Ultimately there is always a bigger picture and that is where it is best to focus.
Q: What is a frustrating aspect about selling machines in Australia?
A: The biggest issue in Australia is truly the tyranny of distance. In the UK, no destination is more than threequarters of a day’s drive away. Here, it can be up to four days of driving to get from one side of the country to the other. Australia is huge and covering the distances has been a really big challenge. However it didn’t take long to wise up to the challenge and we developed partnerships with service companies like Access Services Australia to provide our service support and backup.
Q: Where do you hope the company will be at its 30th anniversary? A: Well, apart from personally hoping I’ll be on an island somewhere with a bottle of tequila, I hope Nifty will carry on bringing innovative product to market. We are seen as a go-to company for unique products and I know there is a lot more still to come.
Q: What have been some of Nifty’s big successes in the past 21 years?
A: Our first sales were a true achievement, as were developing relationships within the industry and building our network and friendships. These are all the big milestones for us. We came into the Australian market an unproven and untried competitor. But we persevered and our trailer mount has been a big success. It’s a great product and Australians know a good product when they see one. And then we brought in our booms and then our first hybrid machines and we won the HRIA Best Product of the Year Award about 11 years ago for our secondary guarding – SiOPS – the first of its kind on the market. Then we won the HRIA Best New Product again a couple of years later for our HR17 Hybrid Power Plant. That was truly gratifying. I consider our continued growth over the past 21 years a true success and it has been amazing to see how the industry has changed and grown during that time.
Access in Action
Q: What’s some Nifty trivia no one knows?
A: Well, that’s a tough one. I am pretty much an open book and I think many people have heard all my stories.
Q: How does the Nifty UK head office view the Australian market? Adding the boom to its range was a Nifty milestone
A: Totally impressed with the growth out here! The UK office think Australia is a great and growing market and recognises our loyal customer base. You know, working with Aussies and bringing Niftys to the market has been an amazing journey and an inspiring one. I have thoroughly enjoyed the first 21 years and want to thank all our customers and industry members and those who have offered guidance and help along the way. We have gone from strength to strength and that is in large part due to the support shown us from the Aussie market. It’s also due to our excellent product. We are now selling second generation hybrid machines which are even cleaner, more efficient and more intelligent. I know hybrid and electric equipment is the way forward, especially in view of the emissions targets being set by governments worldwide. I truly believe pure diesel engines are thing of the past. We have to be on the right side of history and Nifty is facing the future with clear aims and ambitions to keep improving our equipment and work towards a cleaner and more efficient equipment future.
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Access in Action
FEBRUARY 2022
LGMG has entered the Australian market with a full range of products With its motto ‘reliability in action’, there’s a new supplier here to impress the Australian market for mobile elevated work platforms.
In 2021, LGMG officially entered the Australian MEWP market, and sold hundreds of orders in this one year. The China-based manufacturer has continued efforts to speed production, and quickly provided the full range of self-propelled scissor lifts, electric- and diesel-powered RT scissor lifts, and boom lifts to the market. All of these products are tailored to the needs of Australian customers. LGMG relies on a network of agents to ensure aftersales service and solve customers’ concerns. In the future, LGMG will establish a more complete nationwide sales and service support network in Australia.
LGMG scissor lifts
LGMG has the most comprehensive scissor product line in the industry, with platform heights ranging from 3.6 to 14m. These can meet the needs of varied working conditions, from the SS series of small, lightweight scissor lifts that can enter an elevator, to the indoor and outdoor model AS1413E with a working height of 16 meters. Diesel and electric RT scissor lifts are LGMG’s leading products. Electric RT scissor lifts maintain excellent rough terrain performance while offering the benefits of reduced noise and a green power source. Diesel RT scissor lifts are equipped with a powerful diesel engine and fourwheel drive to provide a higher capacity and a larger working platform. LGMG’s scissor lifts, with their reliable quality and stable performance, have made LGMG the largestselling brand of scissor models in the Chinese market for two consecutive years. They have also been highly approved by our customers in Europe and North America.
LGMG boom lifts
LGMG continues to expand its own electric and diesel boom lift product line. The A14JE is an electric boom lift, which can be powered with a lead-acid battery, maintenance-free battery or lithium battery. It can be used in lowemission or zero-emission workplaces. The dieselpowered articulating boom lifts, AR14J and AR16J, are four-wheel drive, with good climbing ability and better rough terrain performance. Easy to operate and with precise positioning, these lifts are suitable for construction projects in rugged terrain. The telescopic boom lifts T20J has entered the Australian market. It is now equipped with a 2.44m threedoor design basket as standard. LGMG provides variety of heavy load models to meet the needs of the market. More LGMG boom lifts models will soon be available.
Top ten sales ranking
LGMG is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lingong Group and one of the largest and most professional manufacturers of MEWPs in China, specialising in the research, manufacturing, sales and service of various mobile aerial work platforms. Their comprehensive production line has scissor lifts, RT scissor lifts, articulating boom lifts, telescopic boom lifts, truckmounted boom lifts, and vertical mast lifts. LGMG has established a number of overseas branches, with products are exported to more than 200 customers in over 50 countries. LGMG has a sales network and service outlets all over the world and is ranked in the top 10 for global sales of MEWPs.
For more information visit website: en.lgmg.com.cn.
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FEBRUARY 2022 VOLUME 23 NO. 3
24 – 26 May 2022 ADELAIDE
The leading event for the equipment hire market
The Leading event for the equipment 48 Aggreko powers Van Gogh Alive with FEATURES hire market renewables 47 Harry’s Gab Robinson talks Resilience and Innovation
49 Find out what Ed Sheeran and the Pope have in common
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Events in Focus
EVENTS PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
FEBRUARY 2022
Support is here while stability returns to the events sector BY ERIN JOHNSTON, HRIA, EVENTS DIVISION PRESIDENT
I hope everyone had a restful Christmas and New Year and managed to avoid any Covidrelated disruptions. I know the latest wave impacted many, and the thought that we could avoid infection altogether seems like a distant memory. For fear of sounding like a stuck record, in this issue last year, we were looking forward to the rolling back of COVID-19 restrictions. Fast-forward 12 months and we now have every expectation that we will have pushed through the peak of the Omicron outbreak. And while all reports indicate a less severe variant, COVID-19 will no-doubt still be making its presence felt well into 2022. But like many, I am filled with hope that 2022 will be far more stable than the previous two years, with events, weddings, festivals returning to fulfill earlier disappointments.
“The HRIA is investigating a series of arrangements that offer discounted fees, plus tips and advice on how to source the right talent.” Weighting guidelines
Recent events have highlighted the importance of securing your assets against the impact of wind and we would be remiss not to remind members of our weighting guidelines, which is freely available and located on the HRIA website under Information sheets. I have personally noticed many marquee structures, used for temporary Covid-testing stations, improperly weighted. So please make sure your structures meet the guidelines.
HIRE22
The HRIA convention is surely the highlight of the year for so many members and I, for one, can’t wait to be down in Adelaide, where our national president, Mark Burton, will play host to the industry in his hometown. For events members, we aim to offer advice on how to navigate the recent challenges of the industry. It will be well worth a day or two away from your business.
Staff
Finding and keeping the right people has always been a challenge in our sector. The transient nature of our labour means we lose exceptional talent as par for the course, which can often be hard to deal with. So, when we’re faced with a once-in a-lifetime pandemic, which shuts down our industry, the collateral damage to our employment culture cannot be understated. This means we fight every day to get people back into the industry. At its worst, this means we have to turn away business because we might not have the resources to deliver to the standards we want. In light of this, the association has sought to provide some relief in the form of recruitment partnerships that can assist across the country, from metro to regional areas, where available. In the coming months, the HRIA is investigating a series of arrangements that offer discounted fees, plus tips and advice on how to source the right talent. For now, let me wish everyone a prosperous 2022. I look forward to collaborating with members through the next 12 months and I hope to see many of you at HIRE22 in Adelaide on May 25th and 26th.
FEBRUARY 2022
EVENTS NEWS
Events in Focus
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Harry the hirer talks resilience and innovation Harry the hirer CEO, Gab Robinson, tells how the company survived shutdown to be back stronger for the event sector’s rebound.
In March 2020, we were in a business with a huge amount of momentum. We’d been around for 45 years with a workforce of 1,200 people. When COVID-19 hit, every bit of our work dropped away. We went from a business with a strong pipeline of upcoming work to a business where our full workforce had to be stood down. So the impact of the pandemic could not have been any more severe. Much of Australia had a reduction in revenue, where our events and exhibition industry suffered a complete shutdown. Our energy went into looking after our people in the most difficult of circumstances. The worst you ever think of is that potentially your revenue doesn’t hit budget, or maybe you drop five or 10 percent,
or maybe we lose a major event or exhibition. But at no point do you ever consider that you may lose your entire business. Our fantastic, experienced and talented people easily found work in other industries. And if you consider that it took 40 years for us to get to where we were, it might take another five to find that level of expertise that gets us back to where we want to go.
Reinvention
“The HRIA has been fantastic in opening the doors to Federal Government.”
Through COVID-19, it’s been years of learning condensed into one year. Our management team has developed so much skill, resilience, and ability to deal with all the unknowns and people issues. Our skilled workforce has been constantly talking with clients to understand what industry needs, to rebound. This has led to innovations that now form part of our ongoing business. We now have online streaming studios that used to be our furniture warehouses, we’ve developed a product called Smart Badge, which offers live contact tracing, social distance, and room capacity alerts, which is now an international product. We’ve developed our drawing and rendering 3D animation skills to show what an exhibition might look like in the future.
Being connected
The HRIA has been fantastic in opening the doors to Federal Government. We’ve had several discussions with the government, which have brought together the ideas of our industry to let them know how they can best support us.
Culture
Our culture of “fight” has really come to the fore. This COVID-19 won’t beat us, but it will certainly be a challenge. For me, it’s a moment in time, which we will look back on with pride because we found a way through it; and it will bond our people and our businesses, and we’ll come out stronger than we otherwise would.
Building back
We have a business scaled to deliver a huge amount of work and we have 300 people back in the business preparing for that: we’re currently ready for the work and encouraging clients back to the sector.
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Events in Focus
EVENTS NEWS
FEBRUARY 2022
Aggreko brings Van Gogh Alive with renewable power Net zero goals are making low-emission machinery a priority in event hire. The trend is rising for event organisers to set clean energy targets and the biggest shows are leading by using hybrid machinery on a grand scale. Van Gogh Alive is the unique art exhibition touring Australia, illuminating the legendary impressionist painter’s work to awestruck crowds. The immersive event has become the world’s most visited multisensory public show. Created by Australian company Grande Experiences, the exhibition is staged in the world’s largest relocatable pavilion, which was designed in Adelaide. Aggreko Australia Pacific’s team of events specialists and technicians combined their expertise to design, manage, build, and operate Van Gogh Alive in Adelaide and Brisbane. The crew will do it all again when the show opens in Canberra next month.
Measurable savings
The Van Gogh Alive tour is the first Australian event to run a solar hybrid system of this scale, using a combination of solar panels and battery storage. At the Brisbane show, the Aggreko team installed 2.8kW of solar and 128kwh of battery storage onsite, with TC and power set-up taking about 300 man-hours. Audience comfort was integral to this location, and 520kw of full venue reverse-cycle air-conditioning formed part of the comprehensive power overlay. Using renewable power at Brisbane saved approximately 43 tonnes of CO2 over the duration of the four-week event, which aimed for at least 30 per cent of the site to run on clean energy. For the Canberra exhibition, Aggreko will be installing a 7.9kW array.
Global demand
As more high-profile sport and entertainment events go off the grid globally, hybrid power is becoming the preferred choice of producers wanting to transition to clean energy or compelled to do so by company targets.
•• Aggreko hybrid generator at Van Gogh Alive. • The touring immersive exhibition is the world’s most visited.
Aggreko’s new solar hybrid units powered the 2021 US Masters Golf Tournament. A recent contract with Sail GP Worldwide will see the same units powering a global sailing event committed to operating entirely on clean energy. Aggreko itself has committed to net zero emissions by 2050. The company has vowed to invest AU$450 – $600 million globally each year, to support its pledge. Aggreko Australia Pacific Managing Director, George Whyte, says that environmental responsibility and new technology is changing the way electricity is generated, distributed, consumed, stored, and monitored. “Power generation for our customers has become more complex, and we have a responsibility to them to create power that is healthier for the world’s wellbeing. It’s great to see the return of major events after 20 months of COVID disruption. We were especially proud to showcase our latest technology in Brisbane for Van Gogh Australia,” he said.
Industries adapting
Events are big energy users due to the demands of lighting, computers, catering, audio visual equipment, heating, and cooling. Increasingly, event organisers like Van Gogh Alive Executive Producer, Andrew Kay AM, are are working to reduce their events’ carbon impact. “We are thrilled to be working with Aggreko,” he said. “When the world is considering the impact of climate change and our communal desire and need to reduce our carbon footprint, we are proud to contribute in our own small way to making our planet a better place. Our events and entertainment industry are already striving to adapt, and we are excited to be part of that movement.” Aggreko has been providing power for events such as the Commonwealth Games, Clipsal 500 V8 Super Cars, Cricket, Football and Rugby World Cups since 1990. The company’s global energy transition pathway that’s underway now is answering the worldwide demand for cleaner alternatives.
FEBRUARY 2022
EVENTS NEWS
Australian-made floor-for-hire pitches impressive credentials From the ground up, the return of events in 2022 means a surge in rental demand. Your Floor has outdoor parties covered with a modular solution that won’t cost the earth.
While we can’t improve on nature, event hosts can leave an outdoor venue as they found it, by using the locally made pedestrian floor covering that tolerates a stampede of foot-traffic while preserving what’s underneath. Your Floor was the portable ground cover that made it possible for Ed Sheeran fans to dance for hours over two nights when the singer performed at the opening of Perth’s Optus Stadium in 2018. And it was the 60,000sqm-plus of sturdy surface at Sydney’s Randwick Racecourse when Pope Benedict held an audience for 400,000 on World Youth Day 2008. Your Floor is manufactured by South Australia based Advanced Tent Technology. The company is proud to include prestigious Adelaide Oval among its clients, and in its product development.
• Perth’s Optus Stadium preparing for the ‘beautiful people’ to dance to Ed Sheeran’s music.
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Damian Hough, Adelaide Oval Head Curator, regularly uses Your Floor at the heritage sports stadium to save hours on turf maintenance and damage repair after the venue stages major public events for tens of thousands of people. The famous field in Hough’s care is known for seamlessly switching purpose — from sport ground to rock concert venue and back again — with quick turnarounds. Hough also tested the colour options offered by Your Floor to find the right one for turf protection. He selected yellow, as it’s the colour that keeps the grass growing and green for seven to 1O days under cover. But Adelaide Oval’s connection to Your Floor began at the design stage with input from “pitch whisperer”, Les Burdett. Les was Adelaide Oval’s head curator from 1978 to 2010. He is renowned globally for his expertise in cricket ground management. Les assisted in selecting the ideal design to give Your Floor the best properties to protect turf. “Your Floor is 100 per cent Australian made and designed for Australian conditions,” said Linda Carter Watts, Vice President of Advanced Tent Technology, which manufactures the flooring in Adelaide and Sydney. Carter Watts, who was awarded HRIA 2021 Woman of Influence for her support of the hire and rental industry, makes a convincing business case for including Your Floor in a hire product range. “Event managers who need a safe and protective temporary floor of any size, from dance floor upwards, appreciate Your Floor’s quick onsite installation,” she said. “For hire companies, it’s easy to clean, light to handle and transport. Most of the Your Floor rental stock in circulation that was purchased in 2008 is still in use today, giving a brilliant return on investment as a hire product.”
Find out more at www.advancedtenttechnology.com.au.
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FEBRUARY 2022
A success story of pandemic pivoting for Viking Portable toilet hire company Viking Rentals stayed afloat, and even thrived, during COVID-19’s disruption. On that memorable day, March 13, 2020, when the Australian event industry shut down, the Viking Rentals events division had just packed up after the busiest weekend of a hectic summer season. “Everything came to a screeching halt,” said Jason Mclennan, National Business Development Manager. “We went from an average of 125 events a month, to none. Staff had their hours cut, some were made redundant, and some took voluntary annual leave. Previously empty yards were full of idle fleet.” Since then, Jason says, “it has been strange past two years.” Fast-forward to the mid-2020 government business grants and Viking Rentals was one of the lucky event suppliers with the chance to ‘pivot’. “The government incentives around renovations and new builds saw a boom in the construction industry,” said Jason. “All of a sudden, our construction division was busier than ever. Staff were reinstated, hours increased, depots started to quickly empty and the event fleet, where possible, was turned over into construction.” “We bought new trucks, renovated others and employed more staff. When building materials started to become scarce, a normal build of 18 weeks was dragging out into 26 weeks or longer and we’d never been so busy in construction. Our events division even started to get busy again, supplying vaccination clinics, testing clinics, and even increasing the number of toilets at warehouses to enable staff to socially distance better on breaks. Things still weren’t the same in events, but we had dollars coming in.” Suddenly, Viking Rentals had a new ‘problem’. They started running out of toilets. “Apparently, so had every other toilet hire company in the world,” said Jason. “Our suppliers had extremely long lead time on new stock and shipping was delayed. There were many months where we had long wait lists, unable to take on any new customers or even deliver to existing customers. There were some edgy moments with depots completely empty. As soon as a toilet was returned, it would be cleaned and sent out the next day.”
“When materials became scarce, a build of 18 weeks was dragging out into 26 weeks and we’d never been so busy in construction.” Finally, Viking’s containers arrived, and staff began building new portable toilets from flatpacks at a rate of about 16 per day. “As quickly as we built them, they were on a truck and out the door,” said Jason. As 2021 ended with the country largely reopened, the events world was “exploding”, according to Jason. “Promotors and event owners were like kids getting let out on the last day of school, all rushing to run their event as quickly as they could,” he said. “We had a nervous wait for the next round of shipping containers, to replenish the event fleet before New Year’s Eve.” With 2022’s year’s event season expected to extend well beyond March after the long hiatus, Jason predicts that finding labour will be the next obstacle for his industry to overcome. “Employing skilled and expert staff is a serious issue in all aspects of events,” he said. “The industry has lost many experienced people to nine-to-five jobs, and this will have a real impact on festivals and events operationally.” Despite this, Jason is energised for 12 months of what promises to be a different type of turbulence. “To deal with a booming construction and event division at the same time is a challenge we can’t wait for. Bring it on.”
FEBRUARY 2022
MACHINERY
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WA’s Blue Diamond leads green power generation push Hydrogen generators are a strengthening value proposition for delicate, isolated and zero-emission work sites. A new partnership between WA-based Blue Diamond Machinery and one of Europe’s foremost renewable technologies companies is set to introduce innovative green power generation solutions to the Australian market, supporting the push by some of the country’s biggest industries to transition towards net zero. The exclusive national distribution rights agreement between Blue Diamond, one of Australia’s leading independent equipment distributors, and French company Energy Observer Developments (EODev) will see Blue Diamond deliver new electro-hydrogen power generators to Australian industry for the first time.
Silent Hydrogen Fuel Cells
EODev’s GEH2® generator, which uses Toyota’s latest generation hydrogen fuel cell, operates silently and produces no CO2, HC, NOx nor fine particles emissions. Instead, the system emits only hot water and filtered air. As a scalable solution capable of connecting with diesel or gas generators or the grid, the new breed of generators are expected to hold considerable appeal for the construction and mining industries – offering an immediate way to begin reducing emissions on sites while allowing operations to continue.
Blue Diamond Director Justin Pitts said the partnership with EODev, which commenced in November 2021, resulted from the company’s quest to discover power generation solutions that decreased CO2 emissions and supported its commitment to green technology. “We started discussions with EODev in September last year, and from that point we pushed very hard to be their distributor in Australia,” he said. “We have been actively looking for emission-free power solutions suited to the construction and mining markets for the past three to four years, and when we found the GEH2® we knew how unique it was and how perfectly suited it is for our customer base in Australia. “Whilst there are plenty of renewable power solutions available for large-scale power plants there are not many for the construction market or for some mine sites, which require equipment that is smaller, more portable and quickly deployable. The initial discussions we have been having with mining and construction companies around this new generator have really made it clear how strong the demand is for this kind of product.” Justin said the company has placed an initial order of three units, which were expected to arrive in Australian by mid-2022, with Blue Diamond now in discussion with key
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clients to commence GEH2® pilots next year. The GEH2® enables Blue Diamond to integrate hydrogen power in all industrial settings, as a back-up solution for delicate settings like airports, data centres and hospitals, or as the primary source on isolated sites like mine sites or scientific bases. The power generator can also be used as a supplementary power base at construction sites, concerts and sporting events, or to access zeroemission zones. Blue Diamond provides power solutions to some of the biggest players in mining including FMG, Northern Star and Rio Tinto, with its current client roster also including construction giant Multiplex and leading equipment supplier Kennards Hire. While the initial outlay on a hydrogen power generator was considerably higher than that of a traditional diesel unit — up to four or five times more — Justin said detailed modelling showing reduced running costs means the hydrogen generators will save money for many customers over the longer term. “As EODev gets more scale in production, the cost of the unit is inevitably going to come down, and at the same time so will the cost of hydrogen. So over time the value proposition will get stronger and stronger,” he said. Recent announcements by the Western Australian
FEBRUARY 2022
• Blue Diamond Machinery directors, Brad (L) and Justin Pitts; • Operations continue while hydrogen generators reduce emissions.
and Queensland state governments on the planned Hydrogen Park (HyP Gladstone) and H2Perth hydrogen production facilities in Gladstone and Kwinana added further impetus to the investment. Blue Diamond wants to be a leader in the space, providing zero-emission equipment to support customers making the transition to net zero by 2050. “We believe our role is to make the most advanced emission-free equipment readily available to our customers who have strong sustainability and environmental program commitments. As such, we are heavily investing in alternative power solutions to the traditional diesel offerings,” said Justin. “We genuinely want to play our part in the energy transition, but we also believe over time it will also make good business sense to have a strong emissionfree offer. “The best way we can do this as a company is to make new technology like this more widely available, and we are also looking at a range of other emissionfree products that will complement the GEH2® with plans to launch them over the next few months.”
For further information, please contact: Justin Pitts, Director, 0411 026 145.
FEBRUARY 2022
LIGHTING
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Technology and Innovation — sponsored by Point of Rental
Low voltage, portable and robust lighting - now that’s a bright idea! The Lifeguard team are continually developing and innovating new products to meet market demand with safety as the priority.
The benefits of Lifeguard TPL Modlight: • Single fixture • Scalable – can be daisy chained up to 2m • Robust for military level use • High level light output • Ideal for use in confined spaces • Serviceable via an authorised service agent • Compact and light weight – 1.1kg per fitting • Dimensions: 115(h) x 127(w) x 395(l)mm • Can be manufactured to end user specifications
Current market offerings for low voltage, industrial lighting have not been able to meet the criteria of portability or “light weight & rugged”, until now. A new product designed and manufactured for hard and rugged environments, providing extra low voltage but high output lighting that’s lightweight and fully portable — now that’s a bright idea. The all-new Lifeguard TPL Modlight unit provides safe and reliable high level light output of 36W per unit, for conditions that require portable and robust lighting. Classified as a Class III Lighting Chain and built and tested to AS/NZS 60598.2.20, the Modlight is rough service rated and tough. Manufactured using injection moulded construction, this exciting new product is perfect for all industrial and construction applications. Available in a black enclosure with white LED output and includes a 5m supply cable, it can be customised to end user specifications. With an IP rating of 66/67, the TPL Modlight is powered by the new Lifeguard ACS-LV 24v DC socket which can be connected to any power source or cascaded from another Lifeguard Power Distribution Board. This makes the Modlight a totally portable, safe, and robust solution.
The Modlight will complement the existing Lifeguard lighting range and become an integral part of the full power distribution solution that Lifeguard offers. The standard Lifeguard lighting range consists of various sizes of lights from fluorescent lighting, chain lighting — up to 200m interconnected, flood lights, emergency lighting and exit lighting. Lifeguard Distribution Boards come standard with lighting outlets which provide a unique plug-and-go capability for our lighting system. The cascade “plug-in” aspects of the Lifeguard lighting system enable quick and easy installation throughout multi-level construction and across large areas and is designed for both indoor and outdoor applications.
For more information on the Lifeguard range visit www.spinefex.com.au or contact Spinefex on 1800 774 633.
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Bulky sales procurement goes online to Site HQ Temporary fencing specialist 1300TempFence switches to e-commerce this month, providing clients with fast quoting, ordering, and automated delivery options. During 2021, the company supplied 1.2mil metres of fencing nationally — that’s enough to stretch from Melbourne to Port Macquarie. 1300TempFence also developed Site HQ, a comprehensive online ordering system, to satisfy its customers’ appetites for planning and booking jobs at a one-stop-shop. “We saw a gap in the market for an e-commerce solution that’s an end-to-end user experience,” said Dan Clifton, General Manager, Sales at 1300TempFence. “We also had multiple sales brands and channels that we wanted to amalgamate under a new overarching brand.”
FEBRUARY 2022
The expectations of a tech-savvy workforce played a big part in moving online and there are plans to optimise Site HQ for mobile devices with an app version. “We surveyed a group of our customers and conducted our own research into what was available in the market,” said Dan. “There wasn’t a true e-commerce solution that allowed for transactions of large bulky items to be completed without human intervention. The next generation of site managers and construction leaders have grown up using apps and websites to procure rather than picking up the phone. We needed to provide them with a comfortable solution.” The new system has benefits for both clients and 1300TempFence sales team. “Site HQ will give customers more visibility on their purchase history with our business and provide a much more enjoyable user experience in general, and the website’s backend automation will save us many manual steps in the fulfilment process,” said Dan.
The new webpage www.sitehq.com.au will be live in February 2022.
FEBRUARY 2022
GENERATORS
Explore the difference Pramac/Generac is the 3rd largest Generator manufacturer in the world. We have a board range of best-in-class products also offering Green environmental solutions. These include but not limited to Generators (Petrol, Diesel, Gas & Hybrid powered), and NOW including Off- Grid Storage “battery pack” solutions, Light Towers (Diesel, Solar or Hybrid system), and Dust Suppression Units (Electric and Diesel). Our Generators are used in various applications from small inverters through to the largest special projects and Telecom applications and solutions. Be it Rental, Industrial or Standby Backup units, we have a machine fit for purpose. We are also one of few Gas Generators suppliers in Australia. Our Dust Suppression units are unique and offer industry leading innovation, controlling and arresting dangerous airborne particles. From a small internal renovation or demolition environment to large hard
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stand waste recycling centres and mining applications. Our Light Towers are all LED. Some offering a unique LED Hyper Head configuration. This range has now become a popular solution for our clients and their customers. Our Hybrid units have a runtime (between refuelling) of approximately 600hrs+ and offer extended service intervals. Our friendly Team welcome the opportunity to provide additional information for any of our product range.
GENERATORS LIGHTING TOWERS DUST FIGHTERS BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE
Tel. 02 8106 3100 | info.au@pramac.com | www.pramac.com | www.generacmobile.com
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Huski Skid steers a ‘hire’ learning for expanding business A growing equipment hire business specialising in tight-access machinery has recently added Toyota Huski’s smallest skid steer loader to its fleet.
Based in Austral, in greater south-western Sydney, DMD Hire recently purchased a new Toyota Huski 4SDK4 skid steer loader to boost and diversify its existing fleet, after the fledgling equipment hire business started receiving unexpectedly high demand. As DMD Hire co-owner, Dom Sgro, explained, DMD Hire started out as his side-business for Mr Sgro in 2020, yet rapidly took on a life of its own. “The business started off with just me,” said Dom. “I bought a 1.7 tonne excavator to get rid of some tax money and I figured I’d just hire it out. It was doing quite well as a side-business to my main mechanical business, Dom’s Plant Repairs. “Initially, I ran the excavator skid steer loader through my mechanical business. Then I was talking with my brothers-in-law about it and they suggested getting into the tight-access market. There weren’t that many people around doing it, aside from the big hire companies, so I thought ‘it’s not a bad idea’ and we put the excavator into a new business, together.
FEBRUARY 2022
“My brother-in-law, Mitchell, does all the admin and running around, and my other brother-in-law, Dylan, does a lot of mechanical stuff with me. Being Dom, Mitchell and Dylan, we called it DMD Hire and as our customer interest picked up we started adding more machines. We have seven at present. Dom examined the market for tight-access skid steer loaders and quickly narrowed his choice to a Toyota Huski from Toyota Material Handling Australia. When Huski Construction Equipment area sales manager — Construction, Peter Bower, met Dom for the first time that although he hadn’t purchased a Huski skid steer loader before, he already knew a lot about them. “Dom is a young guy with a young family and he was looking to expand his hire business, which was already doing really well,” said Peter. “He was looking for a quality addition to his fleet and decided on spending
a bit more on a Huski rather than a cheaper brand, because he knew that in the long term he would recover his investment costs. “His hire business customers do a lot of work on new housing development sites which have big houses but not much yard, in which case access for landscaping works is very tight. So our smallest skid steer loader, the SDK4, was a no-brainer. But, apart from size dictating the selection, Dom has had experience working on Huskis as part of his job as a plant mechanic. This helped influence his decision in as far as he was aware of Huskis’ simplicity to work on, ruggedness, and reputation for durability.” Dom, a trained plant mechanic, agreed that his job experience helped make buying his Huski an easier choice. “I’ve worked on heavy equipment all around the country and seen a lot of different types and brands of machinery,” he said. “Working on the mechanical side of the business, I have had quite a bit to do with Toyota Huski skid steer loaders. My good mate is a landscaper and he has a 2013 model Huski 4SDK4. He gives it no love whatsoever but it keeps running and running, and running. It hardly ever broke but eventually, because of its extreme workload and age, I ended up rebuilding the engine and have since done servicing and minor repairs on it.
FEBRUARY 2022
VEHICLES
“One of the main reasons I like Huskis is that they are straight-forward to work on. There’s nothing overly complicated about them, you can see exactly what you’re dealing with and there’s hardly any electrical involved. It’s basic and it’s logical, which makes it easy to work on and fix. And because it’s not complicated, things are less likely to go wrong in the first place. I think that’s a big part of Toyota Huski’s reputation for reliability. “So those experiences definitely influenced my decision to buy a Huski for our own fleet. When it came to a sit-down skid steer loader, we knew what we were after so we just got on with it and bought it, outright. “Another reason is that the 4SDK4 is economically priced for what it can do. “It needed to be a small machine to suit our target market. The project homes our customers work around are getting bigger, leaving hardly any access on the boundaries, so you can’t fit big machines through there. At only 900mm in width, the 4SDK4 is ideal for those jobs.” Dom is particularly impressed by his little Huski’s work performance. “Even though it’s small, its power is amazing,” he said. It works really well in terms of its operation. It’s not just narrower, it’s a lot quicker — its productivity is vastly superior to our little stand-ons.”
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Mr Sgro said customers are already appreciating the option of the sit-down Huski over stand-on skid steer loaders. “The Huski works really well in the mix of our other machines, providing more options for our customers,” said Dom. “We had a customer wanting another brand of skid steer loader but it was too wide for his job so we gave him the Huski. “He came back rapt, saying he moved about 15 tonnes of dirt in about two hours and figured he’d have easily been another two hours onsite with a stand-on machine. We were happy to get such good feedback.” Since purchasing his Toyota Huski, Dom said he hasn’t had much need of help from Huski Construction Equipment because, as a mechanic, he services his machine himself. His 4SDK4 has only 200 hours on it, so far. “But support from Toyota Huski has been good,” he said. “We have appreciated Peter’s honesty, throughout. We’ll definitely be giving him a call when it comes time to adding another Huski to our fleet in the future.”
Hire Industry Mag Bimonthly 86.5 w x 130 h
For more information freecall 1800 425 438 or visit www.huskiconstructionequipment.com.au
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MACHINERY
FEBRUARY 2022
ASV RT-50 Posi-Track Loader: Built to Work Hard The ideal track loader solution for rental fleets – rugged, powerful, comfortable and efficient. Compact and lightweight, able to be towed behind a ute, reliable, efficient, and packed with power and torque, the ASV RT-50 Posi-Track Loader is an ideal machine for any rental fleet. “The RT-50 is light, fast and strong, and sits in a size class of its own in the Australian market at 50 horsepower,” says Craig Doran, managing director of ASV Sales & Service. “What’s more, its notably compact size and high ground clearance allows operators to get into tight areas and do things they may never have thought possible with a compact track loader of this size.” “It’s also very lightweight at under 2.5 tonne, so can be towed by a ute or four wheel drive, and even comes with a bumper-to-bumper two-year, 2000 hour warranty as standard, which is unmatched in the Australian market.”
Power and performance
The RT-50 delivers impressive power in tight areas that most other machines find difficult or impossible to access, making this Posi-Track ideal for any mid-sized machine owner or operator searching for improved site accessibility. Offering a greater performance-to-weight ratio than any machine in its class, the RT-50 features a 900kg rated operating capacity while weighing just 2,427kg. High performance in a lightweight machine means easy transportability and less risk of turf damage. The outcome is more income and profit in a contractor’s pocket. The RT-50 works hard and fast all day long, thanks to exceptional digging and pushing power resulting from ASV’s Posi-Power system, combined with a 50-horsepower engine, high efficiency drive system and a light overall weight. This machine also handles demanding attachments with ease, running a highly efficient cooling system and a robust hydraulic setup that includes 3,000psi of auxiliary pressure and a 50 litres per minute of flow. The system features large line sizes, hydraulic coolers and direct-drive pumps, transferring more flow and pressure directly to the attachment with maximum efficiency. ASV has designed and manufactured the RT-50 with features to optimise productivity and quality of work. Operators can use the machine to load landscape trucks and small dump trucks thanks to the loader’s 2,784mm pin height. Getting around the jobsite quickly is just as easy, due to the loader’s 11.4km/h top speed.
Compact, Light and Easy to Transport
Traveling to site is simple — owners and operators can easily tow the RT-50 Posi-Track behind a standard ute or SUV, the result of the machine’s low trailer weight and narrow 1,486mm width. Plus, tight area operations, such as working in narrow backyards, is made easier by this notably slim design. The lightweight RT-50 Posi-Track also excels in soft ground conditions, allowing operators to get back to work sooner after wet weather, even on sensitive turf. The machine minimises the risk of ground damage with its class-leading low ground pressure of 3.1psi. ASV achieves this low ground pressure with 15-inch-wide tracks and an even weight distribution brought on by the large number of contact points within the patented PosiTrack undercarriage. The innovative, patented undercarriage design also means ASV customers can use the machine as an allterrain, all-season piece of equipment with maximum control, flotation, traction and pushing power in steep, wet, muddy and slippery conditions. Furthermore, the risk of track derailment is virtually eliminated thanks to numerous contact points and guide lugs. Operators can easily drive over logs, stumps, rocks and other obstructions with less risk of getting hung up. This is thanks to the RT-50’s exceptional 366mm of ground clearance – nearly double that of comparable models from other manufacturers.
FEBRUARY 2022
Comfort
The patented Posi-Track undercarriage significantly improves operator comfort, offering a smoother ride over tough terrain made possibly by a unique torsion axle suspension setup. The result is significantly less fatigue during a long day in the cab. Operation is easy and intuitive with standard joystick controls. An optional all weather cab with heat and A/C allows for year-round comfort while working in extreme temperatures, and for additional comfort ASV also offers an optional suspended seat.
Serviceability & Reliability
The RT-50 Posi-Track Loader offers exceptional ease of serviceability, minimising machine downtime. Thanks to a large rear-tilting hood, all maintenance points are easily accessible: drain plugs, Zerk fittings for convenient greasing, and spin-on frame-mounted filters with single-wrench service. In addition, a direct-drive pump eliminates the labour-intensive belt servicing that comes with beltdriven pumps. Operators also save time and money
WHY HIRE FROM A HRIA MEMBER
By choosing to hire from a HRIA member you are ensuring the best possible hire experience. • • • • • •
HRIA Members will recommend the right equipment for your job HRIA Members can provide instruction on use of the equipment All equipment hired by HRIA members is thoroughly checked and maintained prior to each hire and electrically tested and tagged where needed HRIA members follow all Workplace Health and Safety requirements and have access to the latest safety legislation – ensuring the highest standard of safety for employees and hirers of equipment Hiring from an HRIA member ensures equipment reliability and efficiency HRIA members are committing to a code of ethics
WITH OVER 500 CORPORATE MEMBERS, YOU WILL BE SURE TO FIND A HRIA MEMBER NEAR YOU. For more information or to join the HRIA visit www.hireandrental.com.au
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with the RT-50 — and all models of ASV Posi-Track Loaders for that matter — as a result of the individually replaceable steel sprocket rollers, plus metal-face seals as standard to ensure the idler wheel hubs require zero maintenance for the life of the machine. Operators also see increased sprocket and bogie wheel life, along with easier and faster undercarriage cleaning, because of the open-rail and positive drive sprocket design. All wheels are exposed in the undercarriage to allow material to spill out, reducing the risk of abrasive material getting trapped and wearing away at components. As with the entire ASV Posi-Track range, the RT-50 is backed by ASV’s industry-leading warranty, which even covers tracks for the entire period and includes the industry’s first and only no-derailment guarantee.
Find out more about the ASV RT-50 Posi-Track Loader and book an inspection at your local dealer: www.asvaus.com.
ire and ental ndustry ssociation
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Dingli launches 1.5t glass lift Dingli has launched a new 1,500kg vacuum glass lifting head for its 86ft/26m, all electric boom lift — the BT2615ERTGS. The vacuum head is made up of eight autonomous vacuum pads which do not require tubes from a central pump. The modular design is based on a product the Dingli launched in 2020 which has been extended from 500kg to 1,200kg and now 1,500kg. The aerial work platform base is equipped with an 80 volt 520Ah high capacity lithium battery pack with quick charge capability of 1.5 hours. The boom lifts base remain exactly the same, with four wheel drive and steer plus an oscillating axle.
FEBRUARY 2022
The machine will take 1,500kg, to its maximum lifting height of just over 26m. The glass handling head can rotate 360 degrees, tilt forward 30 degrees and back 90 degrees and articulate 160 degrees for precise placement of panels. All of which is operated via a wireless remote controller. The company’s existing 1,200kg glass handling boom attachment has been thoroughly tested in the construction of dozens of glass curtain wall installation projects, with a machine handling an average of 13 large heavy glass panels installed in a typical working day, with a maximum of 16 panels having been achieved on one project.
For more information visit www.accesssalesandspares.com.au or call 03 9312 3835
Floorex launches Satellite 480 Generation4 In their biggest design upgrade in 10 years, Floorex released the Satellite 480 Generation4 in October. Already, take up of the new model has been high among hire companies. Many new design features of the Generation4 are the direct result of hire industry feedback. Swing weights that can’t be left on a job site, automatic axle height adjustment, and the larger digital display mounted on the durable roto-moulded handle, all combine to make hiring the Satellite a little simpler, and more profitable. Not wanting to compromise core reliable features that customers have grown to love, the cycloid transmission, coupling drive, satellite tooling disc, the reliable motor controller, and tooling system all remain the same. While developing new equipment is always a drawnout process of prototypes, testing and sourcing supply chain, the ambitious schedule of new features and the worldwide shortage of pretty much everything created the perfect storm. Tony Reynolds, Floorex chief designer and innovator, is no stranger to setbacks, however the global semiconductor shortage has made implementing remote-control technology challenging. Tony hopes to launch the RC Satellite models later this year. The Satellite Generation3 has now been retired after over 10 years of service as the most popular large singlephase grinder in the Australasian hire market. Often imitated, never duplicated (to quote Traub Manufacturing) pirated Satellite Gen3 knockoffs regularly crop up on cheap overseas machinery websites, proving imitation
is the sincerest form of flattery. Rather than pursue patent infringements, Floorex has focused on doing what they do best, innovation. Made in Australia has never meant so much in today’s industrial climate, with lengthy delays in overseas shipping and almost any type of logistics stretching just-in-time inventory systems to the limit. Agile processes get bogged down with compounding delays, leading to longer lead times, and ultimately, higher prices. Fortunately, many Australian manufacturers are no longer as reliant on Chinese components as they have been in the past. None-the-less, it only takes one small electronic component to be unavailable, and production can be set back weeks, if not months. Well-known brands such as Honda have faced six-month lead times for their small motors, compounding supply issues for many manufacturers who rely on small motors to power their equipment. As a manufacturer, Floorex keeps large supplies of parts, and can adapt substitute parts to ensure your investment keeps working for you.
ire and ental ndustry ssociation
WHY HIRE?
LATEST EQUIPMENT
Hiring gives you access to a huge range of the latest equipment. Trial new equipment and ensure you are always using the right equipment for your job.
ENSURE EFFICIENCY
When you hire you are speaking to experts who can help you choose the right equipment for your job. Once the job is complete the equipment can be returned, no need to worry about whether that piece of equipment will ever be used again.
CONTROL COSTS
Don’t worry about machine maintenance costs or tying up your capital. Hiring equipment is also fully tax deductable which makes good business sense.
ENSURE SAFETY
When you hire, the equipment comes inspected and ready to go, ensuring it always up to standard and meets regulations.
PROTECT YOUR STAFF
All hired equipment is thoroughly checked prior to each hire and electrically tested and tagged as required.
SERVICE
When you hire you don’t need to worry about delivery, spare parts, accessories and more – you just want the equipment to be there on time and to work.
SAVE TIME
Hiring means you don’t have to spend time updating and maintaining machinery. Get instant access to the equipment you need when you need it.
SAVE MONEY
Owing equipment is expensive. By hiring you will always have access to the latest equipment without worrying about repairs, upgrades and borrowing costs.
SAVE SPACE
No need to worry about storage sheds, yards or equipment sitting idle. Hiring means you can return the equipment as soon as you are finished using it.
SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT
Equipment that is purchased often sits idle for long period of time. People are increasingly conscious of their carbon footprint therefore hiring makes sense for the environment as well as your business.
Visit www.hireandrental.com.au
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PUMPS
FEBRUARY 2022
Self-primed for Hire Picking the right rental pump for purpose is made simple by these experts.
Originally designed for high pressure firefighting and village protection, Aussie’s Brigade Boss pumps proved ideal for high head dewatering applications. Powered by Honda petrol engines, they can be either recoil or electric starts; serving a purpose for applications where sites were reasonably “civilised”.
Aussie’s site boss
Many hire companies stay away from pump hire because of the investment and training required. Australian Pump Industries, leaders in the production of self-priming pumps are aimed squarely at supporting the hire industry.
These three- and four-inch ‘Site Boss’ pumps, come in super heavy duty 3/8 mm diameter frames with integrated lifting bar using Yanmar diesel engines. Hot-dipped galvanised, the frames and base plate, with anti-vibration mounts, means the products can weather tough site conditions. With tougher OH&S regulations, the company then also added E-stop, lock up battery isolation and fire extinguisher to make the units suitable for virtually any job.
No job too big or small
Two- and three-inch pumps are quite common in hire fleets but, as Aussie Pump discovered, trash pumps cannot perform all the jobs necessarily required by hirers. “We get requests for pumps with flows in the thousands of litres per minute, but also hire companies calling up and wanting to know if we have pumps that will do high lift from quarries, construction sites, or even in some cases, local government emergency situations”, said Product Manager, Brad Farrugia.
More pressure please
Big boys too A free course helps customers choose the right pump for the job.
Aussie also developed six-inch pumps that would move up to 6,000 lpm with the ability to handle solids in suspension, up to 80mm in diameter. The big, self-priming, Aussie MQ600TD trash pumps not only handle solids, but also have a vertical lift of up to 46m and will self-prime through a vertical lift of 7.6m. On sites involving dirty water or sewer bypass, the big six-inch diesel drive pumps have a front opening port that enables a choked impeller to be cleaned out in a matter of minutes.
Why self-priming?
Trying to fill suction hoses and prime end suction style pumps, meant either using a compressor or vacuum pump, whereas a self-priming pump removes those failure points. “We found most customer complaints around service work was repairing the vacuum pumps or compressors,” said Farrugia. “With our self-priming concept, we got rid of that complication”.
Free training
For hire companies wanting to understand more about customer qualification, Aussie’s Pumpology, provides a free course on how to select the right pump for the job. “With the hire industry having such a complexity of products to offer, it means the gear must be simple, trouble-free and fully backed by the manufacturers. That’s exactly what we do with our pumps here at Aussie”, said Farrugia.
Further information and details of the training course is readily available from Australian Pump Industries throughout Australia.
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