People news from the world's rental industry

• Paul Wood (pictured above) has been appointed managing director of Andrews Sykes Group, the UKbased renter of heating and cooling equipment and pumps.

Mr Wood has worked at Andrews Sykes since 1978 and was appointed operations director in March last year following the early retirement of Robert Stevens as chief executive. He previously ran the group's southern UK and Netherlands operations.

The company has rental and sales operations in the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands., and was ranked the world's 88th largest rental company in the IRN-100 list last year. It operates three divisions, Sykes Pumps, Andrews Air Conditioning and Andrews Heating.

• Terex Corp has made two senior appointments. Robert Isaman joined the company as president of the Terex Construction division on 2 January, 2007, and will report directly to the other new appointee, Tom Riordan, who became Terex Corp's president and chief operating officer – a new post – in January 2007.

Fergus Baillie, who has been acting president of Terex Construction will continue in a senior operating role, reporting to Mr Isaman.

Mr Isaman, who is a veteran of US Army Special Forces, has previously spent 21 years at United Technologies Corporation (UTC) most recently as president of its Fire Safety Americas business. While at UTC he has held senior positions with its Otis elevator subsidiary and worked in Eastern Europe and China.

Ronald M. DeFeo, Terex chairman and chief executive officer, said; “Bob'fs international experience in the Asia Pacific region and Russia, as well as his track record with lean manufacturing initiatives, will allow him to become a key contributor to the future success of Terex.”

Meanwhile, new Terex president and COO Mr Riordan comes to Terex after a career with companies including Case, Borg-Warner Automotive and, most recently, the US$4,6 billion conglomerate SPX Corp, where his final position was executive vice president and COO.

“Tony Chapman has stepped down from the UK's Construction Plant-hire Association's council after almost 20 years of continuous service to the organisation, including four years as chairman and four as president. Although retired from full-time work, Mr Chapman is still involved in the industry on a consultancy basis and also offers an executive search service.

“Ex-Aggreko executive Andy Wright (pictured above) joined aerial platform rental company Lavendon Group on 2 January as group development director.

Mr Wright, who was managing director of Aggreko's Northern European business when he left the company in July last year, will be responsible for overseeing Lavendon's equipment sales, training and consulting operations as well as being involved in UK acquisitions. Kevin Appleton, Lavendon's chief executive, told IRN the company was looking to further develop its nonrental activities such as training and consultancy.

• Hubert Ruthmann (Pictured right) retired on 17 November after 27 years as chairman of German truck mounted aerial platform manufacturer Anton Ruthmann. His retirement – marked by a special ceremony near the company's headquarters in Gresher-Hochmoor ends 105 years of Ruthmann family leadership.

“It is a good time to make the change – our order books are full,” Mr Ruthmann told IRN. Heinrich Winkelmann replaces Mr Ruthmann as company chairman. Mr Winkelmann has been Ruthmann's president since 2003 when he bought more than 70% of the company's shares. He will acquire the remaining 30% in January 2007.