Instant UpRight sets sights on new markets

Irish scaffold tower manufacturer Instant UpRight has set itself a target of appointing 20 new dealers in developing markets as well as a significant expansion of its ‘specials' business.

John Nevin, Instant's managing director, addressing 80 dealers and customers from over 20 countries at Instant's annual conference in Ireland this week, said; "We have dealers in 40 countries. We hope to get that to 60 over the next three years."

Developing markets in eastern Europe and Asia Pacific represented around a quarter of the company's €20 million sales in the year to June 2008 and the company is targeting other new territories for dealer appointments. This year already it has signed dealership contracts with companies in Romania, Mexico and Slovenia.

Mr Nevin said Instant had opportunities to greatly expand its ‘specials' business, which includes access systems for aviation, industry and applications such as boiler inspections. That business represents 10% of sales but Mr Nevin wants to increase it to 30%. "We do three or four boiler projects every year. We want it to be one a month. All our boiler systems go into Asia [at the moment] - we need reference sites in Europe and the US."

The company is also about to appoint a new representative in the US. Its current two year contract with the Tanfield Group (owner of UpRight Powered Access and Snorkel) expires at the end of this year and will not be renewed. Mr Nevis said he was talking to potential dealers, companies who had the time to focus on the towers business. Tanfield will continue to represent Instant in Japan.

At the meeting - held at the Lecher family-owned Europe Hotel in Killarney - Instant introduced four new products and demonstrated a new product tagging system. The products comprise a GPR/fibreglass access tower to be supplied through a new Europe-only agreement with Australian manufacturer Advance Scaffold (the agreement excludes the UK); a lightweight, low cost stairway tower; a Double Width Snappy platform; and an Instant Step-Up product.

The company is also developing a product coding system using ‘2D data matrix' technology that would be used to tag all tower components and provide rental companies with the opportunity to manage their assets more intelligently. The system is being developed in response to a request from a large European rental company, which Instant preferred not to name.

Mr Nevin also revealed that Instant UpRight was in the middle of a legal action against its former dealer in Spain, Alufase. Madrid-based Alufase was Instant dealer up until four years ago and has since being making products that Instant claims are copies of its Span and Snappy products. The court hearing will be held in Madrid on 29 January next year.

Mr Nevin meanwhile acknowledged that business conditions were difficult, although he said the company was forecasting a modest 5% decline in sales for the year to June 2009, with sales to the Middle East and the specials business helping it ride out the downturn.