demolition bits

• Korean excavator manufacturer Hyundai Heavy Industries is to sell Thomas Equipment skid steer loaders globally under a supply agreement signed by the two companies. In Europe, Hyundai will badge Thomas's entire range of skid steers but not the Thomas mini-excavators. A spokesman for Hyundai said that licensed manufacturing of the skid steers in Europe was also under consideration. Hyundai will launch the Thomas line at the Samoter exhibition in Verona, Italy, in May.

• A 100 m (330') section of the Great Wall of China in the northern Ningxia Province has apparently been demolished and carted away by construction workers for use in a road building project in the nearby city of Zhongwei.

• Following its insolvency filing, four divisions of Walter Bau, once Germany's third largest contractor, have been sold to Austrian-owned rival, Strabag. The sale price was not disclosed, but the deal included divisions of Walter's DYWIDAG and Heilit subsidiaries, which are active in the road building sector and in Austria, the company's main international market. The four divisions have sales of 1.2 billion (US$ 1.6 billion) and employ 4100 people. This represents about 40% of Walter Bau's workforce.

• Intervect, the manufacturer of both Hek and Alimak mastclimbing platforms has changed its name to Alimak Hek – the names of the Group's two strongest product names. President Petter Arvidson said that because the Alimak and Hek names are so well known, the name change was a natural move.

• France's Vinci, the world's largest construction contractor, has announced sales of 19.56 billion (US$ 25.4 billion) for 2004, a +8% increase on 2003. The company's order backlog at the end of 2004 stood at 14 billion (US$ 19.2 billion), a +17% increase on the position 12 months previously.

• The US equipment rental market is currently valued at US$ 23.8 billion, divided between construction/industrial ($13.4 billion), general tool ($8.8 billion) and party/events ($1.6 billion), according to new research undertaken by the American Rental Association (ARA). The research forecasts 28% growth over the next five years, taking the total to $30.7 billion, with party/events expanding the fastest (+37.5%), followed by general tool (+29.5%) and construction/industrial (+27.8%).

• Growing demand from European rental companies has helped Pinguely-Haulotte report a 30% increase in its 2004 sales to 285.8 million ($ 370 million). Like for like revenues grew by 15%. Rental revenues reached between 35 and 40 million ($ 45 – 50 million) in 2004.