RER interviews Ben Bradshaw, EVP, North American Sales, Genie; Dominik Damm, director, product management, booms, Genie; Scott Owyen, director of training, North America, Genie; and Jason Berry, director, product safety, Genie; about latest trends in aerial equipment, new products, innovative applications, safety innovations, and more.
RER: What are the most important developments in mobile elevating work platforms in the past year - especially technology that would be of interest to rental companies?
Bradshaw: Genie continually adapts new products and technology with the goal of helping users become more productive while assisting rental customers with getting the most value possible out of their investment. Our take on innovation is that it must be right for rental customers and equipment operators.
In terms of new developments this year, at ARA in January, Genie debuted new machines that boost productivity while reducing maintenance needs and improving uptime. These are great examples of innovating in ways that benefit rental and operators.
On the technology front, earlier this year, Genie Lift Connect telematics upgraded to a new Trackunit Manager platform, which makes it easier to integrate Lift Connect data with other systems. Because Lift Connect streams data from the machine while it is operating, it’s easier to perform deep analytics, and systematically identify trends, which gives managers and owners a more holistic view of what’s going on with their fleet.
And in July, Genie announced that it had begun rolling out QR code decals on its lifts. These QR codes make it simple and quick to access machine-specific information such as operator’s manuals, maintenance requirements, safety-related information and parts ordering and availability from any smart phone or tablet.
What’s new in your company’s MEWP offering over the past year or so?
Bradshaw: Genie introduced our latest lifts and telehandlers at ARA in January.
The new S-85 XC FE hybrid and S-85 XC E electric boom lifts feature Lithium-Ion technology, which eliminates the need for battery replacement and maintenance in the third generation of Genie FE hybrid technology. Proven rough-terrain capability combines with electrification to deliver high rental fleet utilization and increased job site access. Other improvements reduce maintenance and other ownership costs.
The new Genie pick-and-carry telehandlers are built for fast return on investment. These high-capacity, lower-reach telehandlers boast quality, low maintenance costs, and competitive rental rates. GTH-1244 and GTH-1044 telehandlers give rental companies the ability to differentiate their fleets, garnering competitive rates in the 12,000-pound and 10,000-pound capacity classes, and earning faster rental return on invested capital. No stabilizers or rear axle lock, plus excellent stability and visibility make these short stick telehandlers highly productive for applications where high reach is not needed.
Genie also displayed several models of its new scissor lifts, which were announced in November 2024.
What are some of the most interesting applications for MEWPs that you’ve seen currently or over the past year or so?
Damm: MEWPs continue to be a large contributor to the development of infrastructure. Watching new communities take shape, rail systems expand, and manufacturing and data centers rise is exciting, it shows how our world continues to grow and become more developed for everyone.
Most applications support typical construction tasks, while the projects themselves are what is interesting. Here are just a few. Follow Genie on LinkedIn to see these and many other interesting applications.
· Hugg & Hall Equipment Company used Genie boom lifts at the Science Museum Oklahoma. Another museum project was the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles.
· EquipmentShare wrapped a GTH-1056 in red, white and blue to support military veterans.
· An S-85 was spotted on the factory floor at Blue Origin.
· And when Chicago’s historic St. Rita of Cascia Catholic Parish needed a modern solution to replace their outdated, immobile manlift during recent renovations, they turned to National Lift Truck Inc. for guidance. After evaluating the space and needs, National Lift Truck recommended the Genie GR-20—a compact, self-propelled vertical lift ideal for navigating the church’s narrow aisles, high ceilings, and hard-to-reach areas.
Rental companies can all read the manufacturers instruction or IPAF “how to use” documents, and pass that documentation on to the customers, but what are some of the most important tips or suggestions for safety on aerial equipment that you would like to pass along to rental companies? What are the most common mistakes renters of aerial equipment make?
Owyen: The most important thing users of MEWPs can do is — and will always be — to receive proper training. That includes both general training and hands-on practical training. In addition to operation training should cover how to perform a pre-operation inspection and a workplace risk assessment prior to using the equipment. Of course, operators should always wear proper fall protection.
Berry: The most common mistake is failure to recognize hazardous situations. Proper training covers hazard awareness. Some of those situations include operating in an unlevel condition, working too close to powerlines, climbing on the guardrails, exiting from an elevated platform unless trained to do so using appropriate tie-off equipment, and climbing down from a raised platform.
Looking ahead, what are the next new development or developments in aerial equipment technology? What are some developments you would like to see? What’s on the horizon?
Bradshaw: I can’t talk specifically about anything Genie might have coming, but in general, there is continuing demand for innovations that continue to safely drive efficiency and productivity on the jobsite. Rental companies also are interested in opportunities to drive time utilization, which drives value and ROIC.
Sometimes this innovation can come in the form of a big, complete overhaul or new product. But most of the time, it’s incremental improvements that can come from listening to rental houses, our customers, their customers.
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.