The Italian tower crane market accounted for 5% of the total construction rental machine business in 2003, according to work done by Italian research group Cresme for Italian equipment rental association Assodimi. The crane market brought in Euro 42.5m last year. The association reports that although large civil engineering projects are on the rise, the slow down in domestic housing construction may harm the crane market.
Manitowoc has moved production of its 555 model to TWH Collectibles from Classic Construction Models. The company has licensing agreements with Classic for brass models and TWH for die-cast models. Available this month are the Grove GMK 3055 all-terrain crane, a National Cranes 1400 boom truck and a Potain Igo self-erecting crane. In March the Manitowoc 18000 crawler crane will be available. Classic Construction Models expects to offer a brass model 3900 in 1:48 scale and a Model 4600 in 1:87 scale in 2005.
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Southeastern Crane, based in Jacksonville, Florida, has changed its name to Ring Power Crane. The company represents Manitowoc in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and the Bahamas and Manitex and Potain in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.
AGD Equipment supplied a 2.9t capacity IHI CCH30T to the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry for lifting lighting towers for the outdoor production of ‘Rootz -The Spectacular’ inside the ruins of the old Coventry Cathedral. The rubber crawler tracks, 4t total weight and 1.7 metre width allowed the crane to enter through the arched doorway and work on the stone floor.