METSO UK distributor McHale Plant Sales is urging aggregates producers not to ‘wait for the boom’ before investing in construction equipment.
The firm was responding to figures published by S&P in its ‘Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers Index’, which revealed the UK economy is experiencing ‘the steepest rise in civil engineering activity since June 2021 with new orders growing at their strongest pace for two-and-a-half years’.
McHale Plant Sales said the figures will come as welcome news to everyone in the industry, and to the wider community. As a company that has navigated its way through a number of economic ‘swings and roundabouts’ throughout its 70+ years, McHale revealed it is well positioned to advise as regards the preparation companies should make in anticipation of an upswing.
“Unlike those in the fast-moving consumer good field, experienced buyers in the aggregates and construction plant sector will know that the equipment they need does not grow on trees,” a McHale statement said. “In the case of crushers, screens and suchlike – as in the excavators, dozers, loaders and dump trucks market – a growth in demand in one country is likely to be matched by a similar growth in other countries.”
McHale added that because equipment such as crushers, screens, and conveyors are far from being ‘off-the-shelf’ purchases, the pressure of demand means that ‘queues will form and waiting periods can become the norm’ putting pressure on factories that they might not be able to immediately meet.
Whether to replace existing plant, or to equip themselves to handle growth, McHale’s advice is this: “Don’t wait for the boom before you buy. Now is the time to assess future need, provide for anticipated demand, and place whatever orders will be needed ahead of any rush that might come.”
