Masonry Magazine December 2009 Page. 28
MAST CLIMBERS
er, there are a lot of signs telling us that the economy has already restarted. The number of quotations that we do in specific sectors increases month after month. There is no doubt that our sales activities will be back on track shortly."
Regardless of which way the economy swings, scaffold systems can shore up the bottom line for mason contractors, Breithaupt says.
"The thing I'm hearing is, "We need to squeeze every dollar we can out of every job," he says. "Contractors typically break their costs down by 50 percent labor, 40 percent materials, and 10 percent profit and overhead. A small decrease in labor can be a number that's equal to the profit."
Rentals balance soft sales
ALTHOUGH MAST CLIMBER SALES are down, rentals are picking up the slack. Solomon has seen a slight decrease in the number of mast climber systems sold in 2009, but the rental market is strong.
"Rentals are holding their own," Solomon says. "Right now, rentals are doing better than sales."
Laine says the economic slowdown has impacted Fraco's ability to sell its mast climbers, but he's also seen a steady rental market.
"Purchasing equipment in a period of uncertainty seems to be a risk that no contractor is ready to assume," Laine says. "On the other hand, Fraco's rental activities stayed busy for the last 12 months. An aggressive price structure has helped us to keep our equipment out of our yards."
Bridges points out that he's experienced a slow market like this before, so he's learned how to keep his company in the black.
"This environment is very similar to 9-11. Contractors were still working, but were unsure of the future," he says, noting that he was only selling a single scaffolding product back then. "Since that time, we have expanded our product line to mast climbers, a full line of heavy-duty and light-duty crank-up, including Crank Up XL, Mighty, and NS style, as well as tubs and mixers. We also rent our entire product line. All of this has helped us to stay profitable."
His customers continue to work, which feeds demand for his scaffolding.
"Fortunately, we service a segment of the industry that is still working. Contractors don't have as much work and aren't making the same profits, but are still working," he says.
New and improved
SOME COMPANIES are forging ahead with new mast climber products and accessories. Bridges says his company is working on weather protection. "Winter makes it difficult to secure the towers when working on green walls where you have nothing to tie off to as well as enclosing the back side of the wall," he says. "We have solutions for all of this"
EZ. Scaffold's systems allow contractors to use multiple platforms. "We also have a job in Utah where we have two platforms on one set of towers topping out around 350 feet high," Bridges says. "This allows for the other trades to be working above the mason. Of course, the platforms are completely enclosed and have overhead protection to prevent falling objects"
Non-Stop Scaffolding revamped its Standard-Duty scaffolding by making it easier to crank, offering more room, and moving the winch to the back. "The winch on the laborer's side makes it more adaptable for commercial-type work," Breithaupt says. "It's designed for residential, but commercial guys like it, too."
The company's new Workhorse scaffold jacks up like a truck jack and is easy to move, he says, adding that the scaffold is perfect for interior partitions up to 17 feet, four inches, and exterior brick veneers.
"This is the first and only light-weight jack-up scaffold that you can pick up and walk with and put bricklayers 12 feet, three inches above the floor," Breithaupt says.
Fraco is working on improving its existing products and entering new markets, Laine says. "The focus is put on markets more than products. Thus, the actual economic situation has forced our company to explore new segments of the whole construction industry."