Birchwood and Wolfe cooperate on Razadecks
15 April 2008
Under the agreement, Wolfe will market the products internationally and is now looking for sales partners worldwide. Manufacturers of scaffolding and access towers are likely to be natural partners.
Birchwood will add 1.0, 1.5 and 3.6 m platform height Razadeck models to the existing 2.0 m model, and Wolfe will market these outside of the UK and Ireland. The 3.6 m unit will be built in Eastern Europe while the others will be made in China. Birchwood is also introducing smaller podium access products.
In addition, Birchwood is developing a 2 m platform height scissor lift that will be raised manually using a hydraulic system. This product, which is not yet ready for launch, will not be sold by Wolfe.
Anthony Smith, Birchwood's managing director, told SI that the new range of self erecting towers (SETs) would provide, for the first time, a true bridge between traditional scaffold towers and powered access. The Razadecks will be targeted at users of traditional access towers as well as other new low–level access products, such as the push–around Pop–Up platform.
Mr Smith said it was realistic for the Razadecks to get 25% of the access tower market.
Mike Ashley, Wolfe's marketing director, said the arrangement would allow Wolfe to market the products internationally “whilst capitalising on Birchwood's proven ability to source and deliver competitive world–class products. It will benefit both companies significantly. This is the fastest growing sector of the market and we are confident of Birchwood's ability to launch an innovative new product range, and of the benefits that will continue to accrue to Wolfe as we extend the distribution licences around the world.”