MAST-GUIDED EQUIPMENT
16
ACCESS, LIFT & HANDLERS
JULY-AUGUST 2014
“The transport platform is a newer market,
not as established as the mast climbing work
platform market, however, we are seeing more
growth as a percentage,” Gordon says. “We
are starting to see more general contractors
looking at providing both the MCWP and TP as
a complete package to the sub-trade. Utilizing
both systems provides many access benefits.”
Canada’s Hydro Mobile has also reported solid
demand for 2014. Gabriel Daigle, Hydro Mobile’s
director of business development for North
America, says all sectors are seeing growing
interest for the company.
Klimer’s Gordon says MCWPs are having good
success in commercial construction, mid-rise
and high-rise residential and also industrial
applications.
Unearthing applications
“Our ability to provide customized solutions has
been essential in development of the industrial
market,” Gordon says. “Combined use of
transport platform and MCWP has proved to be
an extremely efficient material handling option.
The transport platforms have the capability of
feeding scaffolding, and we offer adaptions
that will allow them to feed MCWPs. Serving
commercial construction, it provides more
efficient handling options, allowing material
to get right where it will be used, instead of
handling multiple times on a construction hoist.
The difference there is a construction hoist
cannot feed onto a mast climber easily.”
These types of findings – new uses and new
users – are what keep the industry motoring
upward.
“Although mast climbers have been around
for over 50 years, our mast climber fleet is still
finding new applications and customers in both
traditional and non-traditional applications,”
says Baumgatner.
Safway is currently preparing for the
commercial sector rebound and it is making
investments across sectors. Baumgatner says
acquisitions and organic expansion into five
major metro markets from 2012-2014 afforded
the company the largest North American hoisting
fleet.
“We will continue to expand our footprint
throughout 2014 and 2015 in response to
our customers and their expanded project
locations,” he says. “[We also have] the largest
fleet of transport platforms in the country and
truly support the value that this low-rise access
solution offers. This market is only limited by
local acceptance of national standards. We
use them ourselves to install scaffolding and
generally turn them over to the renter for use
afterwards. Transport platforms are used in
commercial, industrial and event projects.”
While MCWPs are still mostly used for new
construction, restoration and maintenance of
buildings and structures, they are also an access
solution for non-building structures. MCWPs
are commonly used for applications such as
masonry, glazing, E.I.F.S., and metal wall panel
systems. The units represent a safe working
environment for chimneys and smokestack
demolition as well as large structures that
need rehabilitation (ex.: dams, cooling towers,
bridges, etc.).
A brother of the MCWP, the construction
hoist is well-suited for emerging trends in
the construction industry that represent
residential and condo towers, for example.
They are designed for heavy duty operation on
construction sites and they represent an efficient
and low-cost solution to the transport of persons
and material from ground to all floors, Lainé
says. “Construction elevators are also a good
choice for temporary installations on new bridge
construction.”
One company seeing extreme demand in this
arena is Stros. “There seems to be a growing
need for construction hoists with larger cars,
higher capacities and speeds,” says Ondrej
Susa, regional sales manager for Stros. “More
often than ever are we asked for longer and/
or higher and/or wider cars, and are currently
dealing with multiple inquiries for dual mast
personnel-and-material hoists.”
Stros says markets in Toronto, New York and
Boston are booming for the company. Overseas,
Russia and Turkey have picked up as well.
“Our permanently installed industrial elevator
business also keeps growing every year as we
partner with new and efficient distributors and
expand to reach more projects,” Susa says. “We
have industrial elevator business all over the
country. The market is definitely up compared
to last year, but last year was exceptionally
good, too. Mostly new high rise buildings in
metropolitan areas.”
Fraco is seeing interest for its construction
hoists such as the Fraco SEH Series Heavy range
models (4,500 pounds and heavier).
Klimer Platforms says it is seeing slight
MCWP recovery, while the smaller transport
platform market rises substantially as a
new, growing segment.
Fraco SEH Series in operation at the
Ottawa Light Rail Transit jobsite.
