Meva's rental plus

Meva has introduced what it calls "RentalPlus", an initiative the company anticipates will signal the end of disputes over damage to formwork.

Gerhard Dingler, managing partner at Meva, said, "The RentalPlus system is based on the addition of 0,045% of the rental value as a premium, which then acts like an insurance against damage.

"This ‘insurance' means damaged or not, we accept our formwork systems back off rent and avoid any need for protracted discussions regarding damage and liability. This enables us to refurbish facings more quickly and get them back out on rent, enabling our customers to work."

Meva said it is unique in this approach, which is only possible through its use of all-plastic facings. "The switch to all-plastic facings was the best investment decision we ever made," said Mr Dingler. "These facings enable us to operate more efficient logistics, and because we only ever need to repair rather than re-face, our formwork is ‘in service' most of the time."

Meva's RentalPlus initiative is backed-up by a cross-border approach that means Meva's never heavily stocked in one country and short in another.

"We invested strongly in inventory and rental yards up to the end of 2008 and despite the slowdown in the construction industry we're finding that rental is strong," said Mr Dingler.