This will be one of the longest issues of Cranes Today that we’ve published in some time. The main reason for that is the amount of space we’ve needed for show coverage.
This month, we’ve got an eight-page feature on the market in India and on the new BC India show, put together by the organisers of Bauma and ConExpo, two of the world’s biggest shows. At the same time, we have the second half of our coverage of ConExpo itself, the big international show of the year.
Talking to crane builders for two pieces this month, and looking at recent results, I’ve learnt that some of the world’s biggest crane builders saw a marked uptick in sales in the last few weeks of 2010. It looks like that trend is continuing, at least for now.
I think the amount of enthusiasm we’ve seen for trade shows, and the number of new product launches at these shows, also indicates a positive turn.
It is, I think, too early to say that we are witnessing a true recovery. In many sectors, particularly in the traditionally big crane markets of the world’s richest countries, the economy is still struggling. In the US, covered in our market report this month, unemployment levels are still high, and house prices are still low. That means we’re unlikely to see any rapid growth in commercial or residential development any time soon.
However, it does look like a degree of confidence is returning to the sector. People may not be building their crane fleets just yet, but they are replacing some of the older cranes that they had been prepared to make do with during the worst times, and reorganising their fleets to meet demand from the sectors that are now doing well.
The crane builders are also displaying signs of increased confidence. At the last few trade shows I’ve been to, there have been few really exciting new cranes. Now, as we prepare for ConExpo, it looks like there will be a lot of new cranes to see.
The success of shows like BC India, and of Bauma China last year, is also encouraging. It indicates, I think, that renewed demand for modern lifting equipment is coming not just from a recovery in traditional markets, but from new interest in other markets.
