We design and market a comprehensive range of telehandlers and aerial work platforms destined primarily for equipment rental companies and the manufacturing sector says Souma Ray, Director, Haulotte India Private Limited.

How do you see the market for Access equipment in the wake of the current pandemic?
The business has been severely affected due to the lockdown, which has been in place since March. Accordingly, Access Equipment Industry in India has faced the brunt too. CAPEX have been kept on hold, projects have been stalled thus directly affecting demand of equipment. Although limited reopening has happened across the country but the uncertainties, low volumes of business, lack of manpower, liquidity crunch is affecting smooth resumption of business activities.

Despite the pandemic, the government has put the vital road and infrastructure projects on priority wherever possible, how positively will such measures impact the access equipment industry?
The government has tried to prioritise opening up of some of the vital road and infra projects but work on such projects have hardly picked up owning to the lack of manpower which has resulted because of the reverse migration of labour during the lockdown period. Thus, the progress of such projects is creeping on a snail’s pace. The effect of the lockdown and its aftermath cannot go away immediately. It will require considerable time for the economy to find its footings back and till such time like all industries, the access industry shall have its share of woes.

Tell us about the product portfolio you offer in the access equipment segment.
Haulotte is one of the top three full range AWP manufacturers in the world and in India; Haulotte is a leading brand for new machines sold. Haulotte is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of people and material lifting equipment. We design and market a comprehensive range of telehandlers and aerial work platforms destined primarily for equipment rental companies and the manufacturing sector.

We are also a provider of global solutions whose primary focus is to meet the day-to-day needs and specific operating requirements of its customers and users. Reflecting this approach, it provides customised financing solutions to facilitate investments in these products and integrated services to optimize equipment life-cycles and residual values for resale (technical assistance, training, spare parts, warranty and maintenance contracts, managing mandatory periodic service visits).

As an aerial work platform specialist, Haulotte manufactures and offers for sale a large range of equipment:

• Seven AWP products across 60 models.
• Articulating booms – from 12 to 41m working height – diesel or electric powered.
• Scissors lift, from 8 to 18m working height, equipped with rough terrain diesel for outside applications or silent electric for interior use, platform capacity ranges from 230 kg to 1000 kg.
• Telescopic booms, from 14 to 43m working height.
• Vertical masts, from 6 to 10m, for outdoor and indoor.
• Push around from 7 to 14m working height, this light compact machine is designed for fragile floor surfaces.
• Trailer booms, from 12 to 26m, their compactness and lightweight allow them to be towed to any site.

Telehandlers:

• 10m working height: 6 machines with maximum lift capacity 3007kg, 3200kg, 3500kg and 4000kg and 5200Kg
• 14m working height: 2 machines with maximum lift capacity 3600kg and 4000kg.
• 17m working height: 2 machines with maximum lift capacity 3600kg and 4000kg.

What is your opinion on the hybrid technology which has been an ongoing trend in the access equipment segment? Are such products saleable?
Few years back, we decided to evolve into a BLUE Company for the future i.e. Any future model launched by us would be on an Electric Architecture. It will strengthen our new corporate identity, in line with our Horizon 2022 strategy which shall propel us to the forefront of sustainable development, digital development so that we can meet the demands of our customers. Our strategy revolves around three major development axes: innovation, digital and human.

As far as production, maintenance and after sales service is concerned, how are you managing it in the post lockdown period?
We are pleased to advise that our manufacturing location across the world have now opened up and we are shipping out machines to our customers. When it comes to India, our service team is fully available to provide product support to our rental customers and we are doing it since the Unlock 1.0 started. Our India distributor Gemini has also recommenced their operations to provide support to our end user customers. Although there are challenges regarding travel and others restrictions, all safety measures are being followed by the team to provide onsite and offsite support to our clients.

How do you see the business potential for rental in the coming days?
Unfortunately, the lockdown has hit the Access equipment rental industry very badly. Not only they are facing severe liquidity crunch since they haven’t been paid by many of their clients citing force majeure clause during the lockdown period, the exodus or reverse migration of their operators and technicians have severely hampered their operations. Although demand has slowly started but very few deployment is happening and machines are standing idle for want of operators and technicians. The situation is very worrisome and as per indications it will really take a while for the access rental industry to find back its footings in these troubled uncertain times of the “2020 : The Year of Challenges.”