Venpa sends big machines to Qatar shipyard

Italian aerial platform and eathmoving renter Gruppo Venpa3 (GV3) has moved some of its largest machines to a project in Qatar. The contract will help the company as it steers through recession in its home market.

Two 60 m Barin AP6030, one Bizzocchi 62 m B-Lift 620, four JLG 1350 boom lifts and two JLG scissors have been rented to Netherlands contractor Archirodon for work on the Nakilat ship repair phase 4 project in Qatar.

The project, being built for Qatar Petroleum, comprises a 120 m long shed that will be used to build and repair natural gas transport ships and luxury yachts. GV3 is providing operators and service technicians alongside the machines.

The work with Archirodon is helping the company cope with the slowdown in Italy. Mendes Migotto, GV3’s chief executive officer, speaking to IRN at the SAIE show in Bologna, said the company’s revenues had fallen by 30% since 2008 and that there was little prospect of a quick upturn.

He said the company’s turnover this year would be similar to 2011 and he forecast no increase next year. “The situation is very, very difficult”, he said, “and I think next year will be similar.” In a more positive vein, he said that the bottom of the market had probably been reached.

Mr Migotto said he hoped the Italian government would increase spending on infrastructure projects and in areas such as protecting Italy’s historic buildings from earthquakes. “I think they want to do that next year, otherwise the situation will remain difficult.”

GV3 main operations are in Italy but it also has small businesses in Slovenia and Croatia, although these are also less than buoyant markets. The company invested heavily in JCB earthmoving equipment five years ago and these machines generate up to a quarter of the company’s revenues. However it is not currently in a position to significantly renew or expand that fleet.

The company continues to look outside of Italy for rentals. In early October, for example, it rented a 60 m truck mounted platform to Malaysian company Eversendai, again through Netherlands company Archirodon.