Crane companies feature in equipment rental ‘top 100’

Eighteen crane rental companies are featured in the latest IRN100 survey of the largest equipment rental companies in the world, published by International Rental News (IRN) magazine.

European company Sarens is the largest crane renter in the list, with annual revenues of €470 million last year and ranked at number 15. Next largest is Mediaco, placed at 30.

Other crane rental companies include Boom Logistics, Mammoet, Maxim, Tat Hong, Nordic Crane and All Erection.

The IRN100 survey reveals the full extent of the rental recovery in 2011 with companies in all regions reporting significant growth, although European firms continue to lag behind the rest.

Total rental-related revenues at the world's top 100 rental companies grew by 13.3% last year, with revenues at the top 10 growing on average by 22.9%, after adjusting for currency changes.

North American rental companies in the list grew on average by 17% while European renters reported much more modest growth of 5.9%. United Rentals tops the list - even before accounting for its recent RSC acquisition - with Aggreko at number two.

The 2011 survey reflects wider trends in the global economy, with growth shifting to emerging markets and recovery in the US proving more robust than in Europe. Of the top 100 companies, 44 were from Europe, the lowest number since the survey was started in 2005 and the first time it has been below 50.

Emerging markets continues to increase their participation in the list, with Chinese and Middle East companies in the top 100 for the first time. Chinese tower crane rental company Shanghai Pangyuan Construction enters at number 90 with revenues of €77 million, while Dubai-based Rental Solutions & Services (RSS) and Byrne Equipment Rental enter at 85 and 93, respectively.

The full list, including a smaller ‘top 50' for Europe, is published in the July-August issue of IRN, which can be downloaded in digital format from www.khl.com.

An expanded version of the magazine IRN100 will soon be available to buy from KHL's information store, www.khl.com/information-store, either as a report on single years, or as a multi-annual study.