Up the reds

I had the honour last month to accept an invitation from the Power Crane Association of New Zealand to be the keynote speaker at its annual conference. (Thank you, Ian Grooby and all the PCA members for making me so welcome.) Unsure quite what I could possibly tell a roomful of experienced crane professionals, I took as my theme the crisis facing the crane manufacturers, with the worst global market conditions for 30 years, discussed the different challenges facing each of the major companies, and tried to offer some insight into what this all may mean for crane buyers. I explained how a battle royal was now being fought out between the Big Four: Manitowoc, Terex, Liebherr and the Japanese alliance of Tadano and Hitachi Sumitomo (which includes Link-Belt). I did not rate the chances of anyone challenging the Big Four in the near future, except in niche markets (and here Spierings was given an honourable mention). On reflection, however, perhaps my presentation was rooted too much in the present. The world is changing fast.

We report in News on two items of potential significance. Firstly, Avtokran, an ISO 9001-certified Russian manufacturer under US ownership, is trying to step onto the world stage with a new lower-cost 100t all terrain. Could a company like Avtokran become a world force? Many would dismiss such a notion. I reserve judgement for the time being.

The second news story of significance this month is Potain's factory in Zhangjiagang, China securing ISO 9001: 2000 quality assurance certification. Many people think it will be years and years before Chinese manufacturers have any real impact on the global crane market. Well, as we know, Chinese manufacturers already lead the ship-to-shore crane market, and Zhangjiagang Potain has started shipping towers across the Asia Pacific regon, with 25 in Sydney alone already. While ZJG Potain towers and ZPMC dockside cranes may rely on European suppliers for electrical components - the clever bits - these are still Chinese cranes, and it will not be long at all before the challenge to the Big Four comes from China. I give it five years. Through Potain, Manitowoc is well placed. Are the other majors getting ready for the new world order? Of course there are still some Chinese products of dubious quality, but only some. An increasing amount is reaching western standards, and at quite a rapid pace. Don't dismiss it.