The crisis in building construction and great works is penalizing the construction machinery market which plummeted again in the first quarter of 2012. The data developed by the associations which represent the various sectors of mechanization for construction showed overall declines of 22.4% for earthmoving machinery and 11.1% for machinery for roadworks in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period last year. The figures fit into the negative trend which has characterized the sector for a long time, one which disclosed the earthmoving machinery market closing 2011 with a 21.3% plunge after a final balance for 2010 showing a drop of 9%.
Seen through study of the various types of machinery is an 18.9% fall for traditional machinery, including dozers, track and wheel excavators and wheel loaders, with a total of 450 units sold and a 23.5% drop for such compact machinery as mini-excavators, compact mini-loaders and track compact mini-loaders with 1,091 units sold. Telescopic handlers moved 33.6% into the red with 140 units sold whereas on the growth size, backhoe loaders were the only units running against the current trend with a gain of 38.9%. With reference to this type of machine, it must be noted that the increase in number was a modest 50 units. It also has to be recalled that the backhoe loader category has chalked up a long string of downturns, with a final balance of a 33.7% decline for 2011, which will make it extremely difficult for these machines to come back to their market levels reached few years ago. On the side of specific machinery for roadworks, rollers and vibro finishers, sales in the first quarter were down 11.1%.
FederUnacoma President Massimo Goldoni, whose federation in the Confindustria National Manufacturers Federation includes Comamoter, representing the earthmoving sector, explained, “The construction machinery crisis certainly doesn’t depend on market saturation or factors associated with the quality of technologies because our industries are still growing on foreign markets, as shown by National Statistics Institute (ISTAT) data reporting a gain of 37.5% in value for 2011, but does depend on structural conditions in our own country where the construction sector is tipping into a deep crisis.”
He went on to say, “We know that delays in payments for work commissioned by public agencies are penalizing the construction sector and the government and local agencies will have to correct this situation and get back to investing in consideration of the fact that some strategic areas have to be protected and not abandoned. Earthmoving machinery is essential for civil protection and all the works for preventing and handling natural catastrophes,” Goldoni insisted. He concluded by saying that in the near future “we will begin an up-to-date survey of the real machinery requirements for civil protection where all too often, with the arrival of weather and environmental emergencies, public agencies have been forced to improvise with home made equipment which turns out to be inefficient and dangerous.”
Rome, 9 May, 2012
Source: UNACOMA
