Comments
Latest Comments
Progression; development; evolution; and refinement: these are the key themes that underpin much of the content in this month's issue. They are, of course, positive attributes true of mankind in general but they are highlighted, showcased even, when viewed through the focused lens of the construction industry.
I'd like to start this month's comment with an apology.
For those of you into your tower crane history, we have a real treat for you this month. Contributor Stuart Anderson's article on page 31 provides great insight into how the tower crane market has developed since its start and, crucially, how it has changed over the last 20 years.
In November 1972 the first ever edition of Cranes Today magazine was published. This means, later this year, we will turn 50! To celebrate this golden anniversary, over the course of 2022, we will look back at some classic issues from across the decades. This will be in print, across our social media pages and on our website. Digital copies of archive issues will also be made available; if you're interested in obtaining one please get in touch.
Adaptability is a key quality for survival and it is a attribute demonstrated throughout this issue.
To paraphrase ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu’s well-known motivational proverb: ‘Even the longest journey starts with the first step’. This saying is thought to have originated in the sixth century BC but it also works as a mantra for current times and can be seen as a theme running throughout this issue.
Attending Vertikal Days, the first lifting equipment trade show I've been to in a year-and-a-half (since March 2020), was an enjoyable experience. I was apprehensive at first as I'd barely even left my village during the pandemic - working on my own from a home office. Yet with abundant supplies of hand sanitiser, social distancing protocols in place, and everyone behaving sensibly, any worries around Covid rapidly subsided. Being predominantly outdoors, the sunshine and warm breeze helped, too.
Hi, I'm the new editor of Cranes Today; some of you may already know me from my previous job in the world of crane publishing. Starting a new job at the tail end of a global pandemic is certainly a new experience for me. It's particularly strange as, apart from being lucky enough to continuing writing about cranes and specialised transport, I'm still working from the same (home) office. To mark the occasion I am now sitting on the other side of my desk to provide a different perspective of my working environment...
Peter Eiler, Rudolf Becker, Helmut Blasé, Heinz Heyer, Dieter Jurgens... Have you ever heard of these people? The answer is ‘probably not’; and it is a pity. They are, or were, engineers of great skill, perhaps genius; and in his article on page 21 Stuart Anderson explains what it was exactly that they did and achieved. Spoiler alert: all these people and more contributed hugely to the development and improvement of the hundred-tonne all-terrain crane to make it the hugely-useful lifting and carrying tool that it is today.
The crane industry predominantly consists of long-established manufacturers, many of which were founded just after World War II. This is the reason why when a company decides to enter the market is big news.