The annual event, this year held at the Warsaw Marriott Hotel in Poland, attracted almost 150 delegates from across the European powered access industry, including representatives of 20 rental companies, including nine of the top 11 access rental fleets in Europe. The estimated total European access fleet size represented by the attendees is around 150,000 units, which represents more than half of the total rental fleet as measured by IPAF in its recent Global MEWP Rental Market Report for 2017.

The annual Europlatform conference hosted by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) in conjunction with Access International heard how the global fleet of Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) will grow almost exponentially over the next two decades to reach 7 million machines worldwide, up from 1.25 million today.

Pierre Saubot, Chairman of MEWP equipment manufacturer Haulotte, delivered the event’s keynote address, which comprised a fascinating overview of the history of the access industry and some eyebrow-raising predictions as to how the industry still has some way to go before reaching market saturation in even the most developed markets such as the UK, US and Germany. His prediction that the global MEWP fleet could grow to reach 7 million MEWPs worldwide in the next 20 years was even more bold considering that he was referring only to self-propelled MEWPs and not vehicle-mounted variants.

On this occasion, Mr. Saubot expresses his opinion that at this moment the lifting equipment market is far from reaching maturity especially in the countries from Central and Eastern Europe, therefore Romania as well.

Mr. Saubot insisted the target is achievable but only if manufacturers, rental companies and regulatory bodies work together to offer a safe and convenient product that meets end users’ requirements and at a cost they can afford. “The only way to create a market and develop it is to have between the manufacturers a large and developed network of rental companies,” he said.

Manufacturers and rental companies must continue to work together to deliver sustainable growth by embracing safety, innovation in the marketplace, and by getting ahead of sustainability requirements by continuing to develop cleaner and more efficient MEWPs, according to Mr. Saubot.