05.10.2013

Turkish platform

This year’s Europlatform conference, held this week in Istanbul, Turkey attracted around 100 delegates – with the largest contingent coming from Turkey - after ELS, Acalar and Das Makine stepped in as sponsors - and then the Netherlands.
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Around 100 delegates attended this year's Europlatform

The quality of presentations was very high with open and insightful talks from Pierre Boels of Boels Rental, explaining how his family owned company takes a long term view when starting up in a new country, Andy Studdert of NES Rentals who added to the safety message he extoled at the IPAF Summit two years ago in Rome, by explaining how allowing backroom staff to work from home for at least two days a week has boosted productivity and cut costs.
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Pierre Boels spoke of his long term approach

Locally based speakers included Mustafa Bilgin of Istanbul Vinç, Serkan Acar of Acarlar and Faruk Aksoy of IMDER/ISDER all of whom provided some very interesting insights into the challenges and opportunities of the Turkish market, including the regulations covering used equipment import, rental rates and competing with platforms on cranes, while Merve Yerdelen Ellialioglu of equipment distributor Tatmak & Kryer proved to be a highly eloquent and outspoken discussion panel member.
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Mustafa Bilgin of Istanbul Vinç spoke of the opportunities and challenges facing access rental companies in Turkey

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Serkan Acar explained some of the complexities of the Turkish market

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Steve Couling, Søren Rosenkrands, Pierre Boels and Merve Yerdelen Ellialioglu in the panel discussion

More industry specific presentations included Søren Rosenkrands of Riwal speaking on the question for extra operator and staff training on large boom lifts – over 80ft, Michael Rohmeder of Ritchie Bros who highlighted the fact that that the way emission standards are met by the engines currently fitted to your equipment could have a significant impact on the resale values in five to 10 years time and Chris Wraith of IPAF who launched a debate on entering and exiting the platform at height, something that the updated EN280-2013 effectively outlaws.
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Søren Rosenkrands spoke on managing big boom rental

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Michael Rohmeder spoke on the impact of the latest engines on future resale values

The next Europlatform event will be held in Berlin in 2014.

More on this year's conference and the subjects covered in the next issue of Cranes & Access magazine.