Maximum Capacity Media, Fort Dodge, Iowa, publisher of Lift and Access magazine, hosted scissor lift and telehandler manufacturers, component vendors, and several publications at its 2008 Equipment Showcase last week in Chandler, Ariz.
The annual event, held Oct. 27-30 at the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Gold Resort, is a unique opportunity for manufacturers to discuss their equipment and for component and product support vendors to network with OEMs.
Equipment at the event included 19-foot slim slab scissor lifts and a telehandler model of the OEM's choice. Participating scissor lift manufacturers included Genie, Skyjack, Haulotte, MEC, JLG, Aichi, and Snorkel. Manufacturers that brought telehandlers include Manitou, JCB, JLG, Mustang, Pettibone, Genie, Skyjack, CAT, and Gehl.
Product experts from each company gave walk-around presentations, detailing machine features and benefits and allowing attendees to ask specific questions about each product. Lift and Access editors and staff tested equipment, which included weighing machines, testing lift and lower speeds, checking drive speeds for the machines, and conducting ramp tests for scissors and decibel tests for telehandlers.
Ryan Ford, product specialist for Manitou, said one benefit of the event is to see what’s new from other companies. “It’s a great place to see all machines in one place and time,” he said. “We hear what’s important to other manufacturers and learn potential selling points against them.” He also said it was a benefit to hear what other equipment experts think about industry issues.
Alan Dotts, manager and AWP specialist for Toyota Material Handling, said the showcase allowed him to see all of the machines side by side and see how they compare physically and technically. Brian Boeckman, product parent for telehandlers at JLG, echoed the sentiment. "It provides us an opportunity to speak to the members of the media regarding our products and to some
degree our design philosophies," he said. "In addition, it provides us an opportunity
to interact with our competitors and better understand the products they
are bringing into the marketplace."
A DVD of the event is available for purchase. Showcase DVDs include walk-around presentations from each manufacturer discussing the features and benefits of each machine at the event. To order, call Becky Grazier at 800-231-8953. Rates are $59.95 for first DVD and $19.95 for additional copies.
Lift & Access is part of the Catalyst Communications Network publication family.
