2014
ALH C&A 2014
Opening the ALH Conference & Awards in Miami keynote speaker Don Ahern said the North American rental industry should enjoy a strong 2015 but cautioned that a slowdown in the oil and gas sector could have a major impact.
He said the last 60 days had seen some evidence of a slower market, with one major Ahern Rentals customer in West Texas laying off 150 people and Xtreme and Snorkel also seeing a slight fall in order intake, to the extent that the group now has a new equipment inventory of US$6-7 million. He said Snorkel had last week layed off 15 people at its UK manufacturing facility.
“I would suggest we’ve been seeing a real upturn for the last three and half years. That’s a long time. Things can change in a dime”, he said. “A lot of equipment has been migrating into the oil and gas sector…what’s going to happen to all the equipment if the oil and gas sector goes soft?
“If there is a whole flood of equipment that moves back into the commercial side, that would reduce used equipment prices, utilisation level…that could be a real problem. How long will the uptick last? We’ve got to be cautious.”
However, Mr Ahern said there were many positives as well, with current good levels of activity and as many as 300 projects exceeding US$1 billion in value currently underway in the US. “There are lots and lots of major projects going on”, he concluded.
ALH Conference 2014 Programme
Welcome and opening remarks
> Lindsey Anderson, Editor, Access Lift & Handlers (ALH)
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
> Don Ahern, Owner, Snorkel; CEO, Ahern Rentals
MORNING: MARKETS AND SAFETY
A Global Perspective on the AWP Market
> Timothy M. Morris, Senior Vice President Sales, Market Development and Customer Support – Americas, JLG Industries, Inc.
Prospects for North America’s Energy and Non-Residential Construction Markets
> Scott Hazelton, Director, IHS Global Insight Construction and Manufacturing Industries Practice
Important Lessons from IPAF’s Accident Reporting Program
> Tony Groat, Executive Vice President, American Work Platform Training (AWPT)/International Powered Access Federation (IPAF)
Safety & Training - Round-table Session:
> Scott Owyen (Global Marketing Training Manager, Terex Aerial Work Platforms)
> Tony Radke (Regional Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Manager, NES Rentals)
> Giles Councell (Director of Operations, IPAF)
> Brent Wise (Chief Operating Officer, Tech Safety Lines)
(Moderated by Euan Youdale, Editor, Access International)
AFTERNOON: RENTAL TRENDS & PRODUCTS
Future Technologies: What Works, What Doesn’t
> Brad Allen, Vice President Marketing, Product Management, and Engineering, Terex AWP
AWP Design: Finding Niches, Creating Opportunities
> David White, President, MEC Aerial Work Platforms
Rental Metrics in 2014: Moving in the Right Direction?
> Gary McArdle, Executive Vice President, Rouse Services
Rental Market Trends - Round-table Session
> Brad Allen (VP Marketing, Product Management, and Engineering, Terex AWP)
> Brad Boehler (President, Skyjack)
> Mike Crouch (President/COO, Acme Lift Co)
> Mike Disser (Director of Sales – Technology & National Accounts, NES Rentals)
> Tim Morris, Senior Vice President Sales, Market Development and Customer Support – Americas, JLG Industries, Inc.
(Moderated by Lindsey Anderson, Editor, Access Lift & Handlers (ALH)
Safe and Profitable Management of Large Self-Propelled Booms
> Woody Weld, Founder/CEO, Acme Lift Co.
ALH winners celebrate in Miami
Almost 200 industry professionals gathered together in Miami to celebrate the industry’s best at the first-ever ALH Conference & Awards on Nov. 11, 2014.
The industry's best came together on Tuesday, Nov. 11 for the inaugural ALH Conference & Awards. The morning and afternoon consisted of top-notch panels and presentations while the evening shifted into a prestigious awards gala event.
Access, Lift & Handlers, and its publisher, KHL Group, chose to debut the North American conference and awards because the current growth of the industry makes it an ideal time to explore key business issues – as well as an opportune time to celebrate excellence in the industry.
ALH received more than 60 entries to the various awards – a response that highlighted the professionalism and commitment to excellence in the industry.
Kicking off the night’s festivities was Skyjack president Brad Boehler who presented industry veteran Brian Black with a plaque recognizing Black’s dedication to serving the aerial work platform industry. Black retired earlier this year after working more than four decades for a number of companies, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, JLG, Snorkel, Grove, Genie and Skyjack.
The evening was hosted by Kevin O’Shea, director of safety and training at Hydro Mobile, who is probably – maybe – the industry’s most comical person.
Organized by Access, Lift & Handlers and Access International magazines, and supported by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), the ALH Conference & Awards aims to be the industry’s leading conference, networking and celebrated event.
ALH AWARD WINNERS 2014
Access Industry Employer of the Year
United Rentals.
Access Project of the Year – Powered Aerial Work Platforms
ReachMaster and Able Equipment.
Access Project of the Year – Scaffolding
Universal Builders Supply.
Access Project of the Year – Mast Climbing Work Platforms
Klimer Platforms won for its job at St. Josaphats Steeple in Detroit, MI.
Rental Technology Award
Point of Rental won for its Mobile Workforce.
Rising Star Award for Small Rental Company
(Less than 10 locations)
Trico Lift
Product Innovation – Teleahndlers
Xtreme Manufacturing’s XR7038
Product Innovation – Truck-Mounted Units
Socage won for its DA392 unit.
Product Innovation – Self-Propelled Aerial Work Platforms
(platform height over 20 feet)
JLG Industries, Inc. SJ1850 boom lift.
Access Safety Innovation Award
United Rentals won for its United Academy and scissor and boom lift training.
ALH Peron of the Year
Keith Darby of TGM Wind Services
For the entire judges' report on winners, please see the Nov/Dec 2014 issue of ALH.
ALH-CA 2014 SHORTLIST
Access Industry Employer of the Year
• JLG Industries, Inc.
• TVH Parts Company
• United Rentals
Access Projects of the Year – Powered AWPs
• ReachMaster/ABLE Equipment – Fulton Street Transit Center
• TGM Wind Services – United States Armed Forces Joint Venture in Lakehurst, NJ
• United Rentals – Minnesota Stadium
Access Projects of the Year – Scaffolding
• Spider – Pennsylvania Wind Farm
• Superior Scaffold Services – Senaca Niagara Casino
• Universal Builders Supply, Inc – Washington Union Station
Access Projects of the Year – MCWPs
• Century Elevators – Westlake Chemical Corp.
• Hydro Mobile – Haramain high-speed rail terminal in Saudi Arabia
• Klimer Platforms – Detroit Cathedral
Access Safety Innovation
• Haulotte – Activ Shield
• Klimer Platforms – Training
• United Rentals – United Academy/Boom and Scissor Training
Product Innovation – Self-propelled AWP
over 20-feet platform height
• Genie - SX180
• JLG Industries, Inc. - 185SJ
• ReachMaster/PB Lifttechnik - PB 7448
Product Innovation – Telehandlers
• JCB – 525-60 Hi-Viz
• Manitou – MRT
• Xtreme Manufacturing – XR7038
Product Innovation –
Truck-Mounted Units
• Bronto – S 230 XDT
• Ruthmann/TIME – T 175 A
• Socage - DA392
Rental Technology
• Point of Rental – Mobile WorkForce
• United Rentals – FAST
Rising Star Award –
Rental company with less than 10 locations
• Century Elevators
• Trico Lift
• Up Equip
2014 sponsors
Genie (Terex)
JLG
Skyjack
Haulotte Group
ReachMaster
TSL