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Following a difficult period in the early-1990s, sales of access equipment have enjoyed several years of strong growth in recent years. The rapid downturn in construction activity in the early-1990s resulted in declining demand for access products, but sustained recovery in construction has stimulated both sales and hire of access equipment.
While recovery in construction activity was a key factor supporting growth of access equipment, other factors have also been significant. Key issues include changing legislation relating to Health & Safety, rapid growth of powered access products, influence of the hire market and the introduction of new products to meet specific application requirements.
Short-term prospects for the market are less optimistic due to the anticipated downturn in construction, the deteriorating UK economy and a levelling off (or decline) in demand from hire companies currently building up their fleets of powered access equipment.
Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) account for the largest share of the market and have grown strongly over the last 3 years, primarily due to fleet building from major hire companies. Emphasis on higher safety standards for working at height, and a wider range of powered access products for specific applications has accelerated hire demand in recent years.
Ladders and scaffolding also represent major sectors of the market, each accounting for around 20 percent shares. Sales of ladders have been stable and may decline as contractors switch to alternative, safer methods of working. Scaffolding is also a relatively mature sector but represents the optimum method of working at height for large-scale and long-term projects. System scaffolding offers advantages of speed of assembly and improved safety, but has only gained share gradually due to high capital investment costs. Access towers, suspended access systems and mast climbers account for the balance of the market.
Leading suppliers in the industry include SGB, who are prominent in scaffolding, access towers and ladders. The leading suppliers in the MEWPs sector are Genie, JLG, Upright and Grove. Most of the major suppliers in the powered access sector are based in the USA, where working safety standards are very high and all have experienced very high growth over the last 5 years both in the UK and their domestic market.
Distribution of access equipment is dominated by direct sales to end users and into hire companies. The hire sector has grown in importance over the last few years as contractors use a wider range of equipment. Changes in Health & Safety legislation, privatisation and subcontracting of maintenance operations, and the introduction of new products to meet specific access requirements have all encouraged the use of hire rather than outright purchase of equipment.
Hire operators are divided into specialist access companies, such as Nationwide Access, and more general operators such as HSS, A-Plant, Hewden Hire etc who are generally expanding their fleet of equipment, particularly in the powered access sector. Builders Merchants, DIY Multiples and specialist distributors are also involved in specific sectors of access equipment.
While short-term prospects for access equipment may not be too optimistic, the longer term trend towards greater emphasis on safety, the growing maintenance sector and wider usage in industrial applications, should all stimulate underlying demand. Higher value products, such as MEWPs, are likely to benefit, but other low-cost systems will retain share, offering specific application benefits to contractors/end-users.
This comprehensive report represents a detailed assessment of the market, reviewing major trends, key factors influencing developments and future prospects for the sector. Analysis is both quantitative and qualitative, based on our substantial experience of the building and home improvement markets.
Text © 1998 AMA Research
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Last updated by Duncan Nottage 5th March 1999