03.07.2025

When the time is right

There are periods in history when an invention, new technology, materials or a manufacturing process has led to a major change in the way something is done. Examples include the printing press, spinning-jenny, steam engine, internal combustion engine, farm tractor, bicycle, light bulb, wireless telegraphy, aeroplane, personal computer and the internet… to name but a few. All have led to massive changes in the way things are done, but not always immediately.

Around 80 years ago several new companies entered the mobile crane market, spurred on by the need to rebuild after the devastation of World War II. But what happened 40 years ago? It was the mid-1980s and something caused a series of entrepreneurs to start designing and building self-propelled aerial work platforms or spider lifts. We see it now with all the 40 year anniversary celebrations including Niftylift, Skyjack, Haulotte and for spider lifts Platform Basket and Palazzani- when it comes to spider lifts- to name a few, while IPAF - the International Powered Access Federation - celebrated its 40th anniversary a couple of years back.

Rather than one major event, I think it was a combination of factors. At the beginning of the 1980s, the construction industry was still very conservative, using methods passed down over the generations. However, a mood for change was in the air following the recessions of 1975 and 1982. The entrepreneurial juices were activated leading to a surge in new company startups.

I remember working as a site engineer on a multistorey building in London in 1983 and being given the first laser level in the company - a relatively minor development but a massive game changer in terms of speed and efficiency, requiring just one person instead of two to set the levels for the other trades. The first telehandlers were also beginning to appear changing the way materials were moved around on site - the pallet had arrived!

Although self-propelled boom lifts date back to the late 1950s, initially to pick apples in Canada and cherries in California - hence the nickname ‘cherry picker’- the lifts struggled to generate any interest among European contractors, thanks to a strong scaffolding sector and a resistance to ‘newfangled technology’.

The 1980s however, saw a younger generation entering the sector with new ideas, able to spot the benefits of using powered access equipment for certain applications, and the market began to take off. Word began to spread of ‘new’ machines able to work at height that saved time and money and, although not as important then as it is now, they offered a safer way of working. The growth of the aerial work platform was down to a willingness to change, and rental companies starting to invest and believe in the concept - without which, aerial lifts would simply not have taken off.

Congratulations to all those celebrating their 40th anniversaries, and perhaps we might spare a thought for the many that failed along the way.

Mark Darwin