Skyjack Tailors APEX Fleet for Current Rental Trends
Skyjack last week exhibited an assortment of its products at this year’s APEX Asia event in Shanghai.
“The market in China was first populated with machines required for major projects such as power stations and petrochemical plants where safety is paramount and for major structures such as those required for the Beijing Olympics,” said Simon Cracknell, sales, operations, and market development director for Skyjack Asia. “The market is starting to mature, so professional delivery of rental is important. The increased number of Chinese manufacturers focusing on MEWPs proves that point, but it’s important for rental companies to consider global safety standards as well as proven manufacturing track records when selecting an OEM to equip a fleet.”
When looking at how companies stock their fleets, Chinese compositions is moving towards what is seen in North America. Compact and conventional scissor lifts dominate most fleets, followed closely by vertical masts, and a growing presence of boomlifts. To reflect this category breakdown, Skyjack determined that its SJ16 vertical mast lift, SJ63 AJ articulating boom lift, and its award-winning SJIII 3219 would be the best products to display at this year’s event.
“Our SJ63 AJ changed the game in terms of up-and-over reach and we used it as a baseline when designing our SJ85 AJ,” Cracknell said. “The SJ63 AJ also really speaks to our designed for rental philosophy as it encompasses a number of our trademarked items like EASYDRIVE, SPEEDYREACH, SKYRISER, and AXLDRIVE.”
In addition to the articulating boom and vertical mast, Skyjack also has its top-selling scissor lift, the SJIII 3219, on site. This product has a working height of 25 feet (7.62 meters), drivable at full height, and comes equipped with a 3-foot (0.91 meter) extension deck. The 19-foot class is continuously in the highest demand in both Asia and worldwide so it was important for Skyjack to show some representation in that category.
“A few years ago, we saw a growing need for access equipment in the South Korean market, so we responded by providing dedicated service support staff back in 2013,” Cracknell said. “From there we slowly grew the sales and service team and now have an official facility in Sangnok–gu, just south of Seoul. We’re excited to have some of that team with us at APEX Asia this year.”
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.