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Japan's three largest construction equipment manufacturers expect sales to fall more than -20% this fiscal year. Operating profits are expected to halve again.

German tower crane producer Wolffkran has entered a partnership with construction equipment dealer Roots Group, based in the Middle East. The Roots Group will take over sales, rental and full consultancy services for Wolff cranes in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt

Net sales in the Terex Cranes segment for the first quarter of 2009 were down 28.9% (US$187.5 million) to $461.4 million on the same period of 2008

Cargotec's first quarter results for 2009 show its Hiab loader cranes division has been increasingly hit by the drop in construction and new truck sales. The group's other divisions, Kalmar and MacGregor, have also seen a tough three months

Revenues were down -15% for the year ending March 31 and a bigger fall is expected this year.

Lavendon’s access rental businesses are under pressure in all its major European territories and the company said it was taking further action to reduce its costs. The company has revised downwards it previously announced profit forecast.

D&G Hoist and Crane Hire in Australia has purchased Verticon's Australian hoist and crane rental division for AU$12 million (€6.5 million). The sale transfers Verticon's fleet of 140 passenger and materials hoists, all rental agreements, and 280 employees to D&G.

D&G Hoist and Crane Hire in Australia has announced its purchase of Verticon's Australian crane and hoist rental division

Terex reported that net sales in the first quarter of 2009 for its Aerial Work Platforms (AWP) segment were $228.5 million (€172.3 million), a fall of $436.2 million (€328.9), or 65.6%, from the same period in 2008. Excluding the effects of foreign currency exchange rate changes, the net sales decrease was approximately 64%.

Alexandre Saubot presented Haulotte’s first quarter figures at Intermat today (22 April). Despite a 61% drop in turnover from last year Haulotte is going ahead with the launch of a number of new products and, said Mr Saubot, continuing with investment in research and development.

Caterpillar had a net loss of US$ 122 million for the first quarter of the year, due charges of US$ 558 million relating to job cuts.

Terex had a net loss of US $ 75 million for the first quarter of 2009, compared to a net profit of US$ 163 million for the first quarter of 2008. Sales were US$ 1.30 billion, a decrease of -45% from US$ 2.36 billion in the first quarter of 2008.

The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) said that new research into the European access rental market revealed that some of Europe’s biggest access markets still have considerable room to grow.

The value of construction in Romania increased by +34% nominally (+26% in real terms), to RON 83 billion (€ 22.5 billion) according to the latest report by research and consulting company PMR.

Zoomlion is launching a new dealership network across Europe. The Chinese manufacturer's UK dealer Crowland is at the centre of the plans and has already become the only service centre in Europe to offer comprehensive spare parts.

European Rental Association (ERA) president Gerad Deprez said rental company and equipment dealers should cooperate more closely, and in particular could do more to work together on remarketing of used equipment.

The Aspire Schools consortium, which includes Leighton Contractors, Leighton Services, the Commonwealth Bank, and the Broad Group has won the AU$ 1.1 billion (US$ 781 million) design, build and maintenance contract for seven new state schools in South East Queensland.

Speedy Hire said it is preparing for a challenging market for the next two to three years, with the possibility that the worst of the UK recession was still to come.

Aggreko said it had made a strong start to 2009 with total revenues in the three months to 31 March 2009 growing by 42%, although this falls to 17% on a constant currency basis.

A consortium led by Al Arrab Contracting has won a SAR 6.79 billion (US$ 1.8 billion) contract to construct the first part of the 450 km-long high-speed rail link from Jeddah to Mecca and Medina - Islam's two holiest sites.