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2. Slow recovery for UK crane sales

The effects of the Covid pandemic saw crane sales halve in the UK in 2020. Preliminary estimates for 2021 suggest sales rebounded to just over 100 cranes, but the forecast is for continued gradual growth, before sales return to a more natural level of around 140 cranes per year.

Off-Highway Research’s new report, The Mobile Crane Industry in the UK, said, “The financial implications of the pandemic have been highlighted recently by the cancellation of part of the HS2 high speed rail project linking Nottingham to Leeds. However, it is believed some of the money saved by the cancellation will be spent on smaller infrastructure projects which are unlikely to generate investment in new equipment, but should allow rental companies to generate greater use for the existing fleets.”

It continued, “The market is dominated by the crane rental sector and thus the purchasing criteria for these companies is heavily influenced by the prevailing economic situation. Currently, this is recovering from the impact of the pandemic but is not expected to recover all the lost impetus until 2023, and so the UK crane market is not expected to regain its pre-pandemic levels for a number of years.”

Off-Highway Research’s 32 page report on the mobile crane industry in the UK is now available to subscribers to Off-Highway Research’s European Service. It is also available to buy on our online store. Click here for details.

It is believed to be the most detailed and in-depth report ever published on the subject, with analysis covering market size, market shares, market structure, production, distribution networks, equipment population, pricing, machines available and a five-year forecast.

Contact [email protected] for more details about our reports and subscription packages.