The construction and equipment machinery rental market in Italy is growing, partly due to the “Expo effect”, according to Marco Prosperi, director of Assodimi-Assonolo, the national association of industrial machinery distributors.
Estimates for the end of 2015 suggest a slight upturn on the 2014 Italian rental market (+0.7%), with Prosperi’s views coming from an interview with PR team from
The rental sector within Italy’s building industry is worth over €1.3 billion. The biggest markets by category are scaffolding and cranes (€360 million), platforms (€280 million), earthmoving machinery (€260 million), prefabricated modules (€100 million) and power generator sets (€110 million).
“Compared to the 80% collapse in sales during the worst years of the crisis, the rental field suffered much less, with downturns in the 10-15% range,” said Prosperi. “2015 saw a resumption, driven in particular by companies in Northern Italy which benefitted from works related to Expo Milan. But there are also positive signs from Central and Southern Italy.”
Italy has more than 1,500 companies in the machinery and equipment rental sector, with the top 50 capable of generating 40% of total turnover. This is a recent market in Italy, that began to emerge about 20 years ago, whereas in countries such as the UK it has been active for over 60 years. Margins for growth are therefore still large: rented equipment and machinery in Italy only represent 1% of total use on building construction sites, compared to 1.8% in France and 2% in the United Kingdom.
“The hire sector provides a genuine service to construction companies,” the director of Assodimi-Assonolo continued, “and can assure the ideal type of machinery at a fixed price and the most advanced technology available. Nor should we overlook consulting activities ranging from managing bureaucracy through to traffic studies during current work and construction sites.”
Assodimi-Assonolo itself will be on hand at Veronafiere for the 30th edition of SaMoTer in the event’s ‘Rental Area’: the exhibition space for hire-rental professionals.
