All General Articles

Sector remains weak after being hit hard by the economic downturn, but signs of improvement in civil engineering

Paolo Peretti marketing manager of Italian telehandler and access platform manufacturer Merlo told Access International that the company's turnover was up a further 30% in 2011 continuing the trend the company has maintained during the recession.

Sector still in decline, but pace slows thanks to increases in resource-related construction

Following the news that one of North America's largest independent rental companies, Las Vegas-based Ahern Rentals, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in order to restructure around $500 million in debt, Dow Jones News services has reported that the company can begin tapping a $350 million bankruptcy loan from its big-bank lenders, mostly to pay off some of its debt.

Michael Kneeland, United Rentals chief executive officer, said the timing was perfect for the acquisition of RSC Equipment Rental.

MVS Zeppelin has rebranded as Zeppelin Rental, dropping the name of the Berlin company it acquired eight years ago and focusing instead on the brand of its parent, Caterpillar dealer Zeppelin.

Demand forecast to rise +5.4% per year to 4.3 billion tonnes in 2015, fuelled by Asia Pacific growth and mature market rebound

UK-based rental software company Insphire has established a permanent US sales office, located in Houston, Texas.

Declines in Slovenia and Portugal drive 2% year-on-year fall in Europe’s (EU27) construction output in October

You should never be surprised by acquisitions in the rental industry. That is true in particular of United Rentals, since it owes its status as the world’s biggest rental company to the more than 250 transactions it has made in the last 14 years.

Transport concessions and international footprint will help insulate sector in 2012, but outlook remains weak

Volvo Rents has acquired Midwest Aerials & Equipment, the four-depot aerial platform rental firm headquartered in St Louis.

Riwal is to reduce its Spanish fleet by around 25% to 1500 units but said it remained absolutely committed to the Spanish market.

Chinese equipment manufacturer to introduce customer leasing and financing programme

The Lavendon Group has decided to bring its three UK rental businesses under a single brand, Nationwide Platforms.

The Italian rental market will fall in value by a projected 5% this year according to the latest rental market study prepared by Assodimi, the Italian association for rental and distribution.

Australia’s National Hire – which owns a 46.1% share of Coates Hire – has finally been fully acquired by Seven, the company run by Kerry Stokes.

Former Cramo chief executive officer Gunnar Glifberg will be one of the two new inductees into the American Rental Association’s Rental Hall of Fame.

View Murray Pollok's podcast report from the BICES exhibition, held in Beijing in October.