Constant media reports about both the good and bad points of 'Globalisation' might give weight to the opinion that we are all moving closer together economically and that the ways of doing business in one country, are pretty much the same as doing business in any other.
Thankfully, that is not the case. There are still plenty of different views on how commercial and 'commune' jobs should be handled for example - and what equipment should be used to do them.
An example of such diversity can be found in mainland Europe - in spite of the fact that EU Bureaucrats are on a relentless 'mission' to enforce 'commonality' in every law they try to frame. In some EU market sectors, hire (or 'rental') is seen as a vital part of any working relationship. Examples include the construction sector, right through to car or panel van rental. Whereas in others, 'ownership' remains the only game in town.
Until recently, 'ownership' was central to most public sector(commune) operations in Germany. Even though some tasks, such as waste collection had been outsourced to commercial contractors, there was no rental 'pool' of vehicles and equipment that town, city and regional authorities could hire in to meet exceptional seasonal, or operational demands. Either on a 'spot hire' (short term), or more structured contract hire basis. But there are signs of that situation changing. And if it can change in Germany, where next?
German manufacturer of sweeping machines and multi-functional tool carriers, Hako-Werke, has added 'hire' (rental) to the list of services offered by its growing network of company-owned dealerships. The template is initially being expanded within Germany, but it could be applied to some other Hako dealerships globally if successful.
And what has caused this change of thinking? Firstly, the ability to hire a machine that works in a different way - rather than having to make an outright purchase - is a key advantage to both customer and manufacturer. But the availability of a fleet of hire machines that can be configured for a number of operations, within a fixed budget is also significant.
The key driver, according to Christian Stehr head of the Kayhude, Germany-based regional Hako/Multicar dealership, is: "The recent uncertain weather patterns", he explains, before adding: "We recently supplied fifty hire machines to boost the winter maintenance (snow clearing) capability of a city council customer. Now they are being used to sweep the streets and footpaths."
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