Getting a start in the arborist industry, it would have been very easy for Global Machinery Sales to stick to what it knows best. Instead, the father and son team of Brian and Sam Evans have ventured into the lifting industry, and with great success.
Brian and the family bought Global Machinery Sales back in 2009. The previous owner had exclusively sold woodchippers. Sam explains more.
“Before purchasing the business, my father, Brian, had done his research in terms of future opportunities, and he had plans for the business. He quickly opened a dealership in Sydney and, in 2012, he brought on board the CMC range of hydraulic crawler aerial work platforms,” he said.
CMC aerial platforms are a world leader in aerial lift technology. Based in Bari, Italy, CMC Lifts are a best seller in over 30 countries. Safety and innovation are at the forefront of all aerial platforms, with the design based around the operator of the machine. CMC aerial platforms range from 13m to a maximum working height of 41m, providing safe and easy access to those hard-to-reach places. This winning combination provides CMC customers with better value and greater return on investment.
“Sales of the CMC range were initially slow, but as we brought a variety of units into the market, customers could see the quality of the range and experience the performance. By 2017, sales really began to pick up,” said Sam.
The range and the number of brands represented by Global Machinery Sales continues to grow. The business recently announced it would be representing the BG Lift range of mini crawler cranes.
Compact BG Lift cranes rank highly in terms of innovative technology, precision, and gentle movement, solidity, safety, and extraordinary performance. Increasingly more common and in demand, compact crawler cranes designed and built by BG Lift reduce intervention times and improve the quality of a job’s performance. Fully remote-controlled and featuring incredible precision and power, the BG Lift range is ideal for operation in hard-to-reach and tight spaces and is equally comfortable working indoors or out, thanks to the two motors.
“Our client base is diversifying, we are seeing demand from numerous industries, and we are changing our business model to cater to these demands,” said Sam.
“Two years ago, if you asked us which of the products lines were the best sellers, we would have said woodchippers. Today, we are selling a lot more of the spider lift aerial platforms.”
Global Machinery Sales has gone from strength to strength in recent years, despite Covid. CMC has become one of the pre-eminent aerial platform spider lift manufacturers globally.
“The global growth of CMC is also impressive; they are now the biggest supplier of spider lift aerial platforms in the world,” said Sam.
Whilst the hydraulic crawler spider lift has been successful in the tree industry, Brian and Sam have recognised the benefits of the machines in the construction and lifting space.
“The main thing we are finding with these spider lifts is the ease of access. All lifts from 13 to 25 metres will fit through a standard door, so imagine the applications these machines can service, they are endless. They are compact and lightweight, and you can get them to wherever you need them to be,” said Sam.
Sam explains which products have been popular from the CMC range of hydraulic crawler spider lift aerial platforms.
“We find a lot of customers start with the F Series, which includes a range of models with maximum working heights from 13m up to 18m,” he said.
“The machines are fully hydraulic and simple to use. These are the smaller models in the range, which enables customers to gain a better understanding of the machines’ capabilities and the various operating modes, allowing them to feel more comfortable moving onto the larger machines in two to four years’ time.”
The LC series features the S23 model. With its 23m maximum working height, it has been sought-after by a wide variety of industries. This lift is one of the few models that has an unrestricted outreach, meaning that users can get a maximum outreach of 12.4m with 200kg in the basket.
Sam goes on to explain how Global Machinery Sales works hard to ensure clients are being supplied with the right models to suit the various applications they are working in.
“We work closely with our customers to understand their exact requirements and we are confident we will have a model that fits the bill,” he said.
“As I have said, we have been selling a number of the 13-metre models from the F Series, which is the smallest machine we have. If you are faced with tight access, this model is perfect for indoor applications, and you do not need an elevated work platform licence to operate it.
“When completely dismantled its width is only 800 millimetres, its outrigger panel is only 2.8m x 2.9m, so its perfect for tight access,” he said.
The team at Global Machinery Sales believes the light and compact range from CMC is suited perfectly for the construction and lifting industry. The CMC range of aerial platform spider lifts are rugged enough to withstand any challenges that are thrown at it on site.
“In the XL Series we have the CMC S41, and no tracked aerial platform can match it,” said Sam.
“With its six-stage telescopic boom and extendable articulated telescopic jib, the CMC S41 can reach an operating height of 41m and a lateral outreach of up to 19m, with a unique weight capacity of 200kg.
“Despite its exceptional elevation, it is able to stabilise itself with a minimum space requirement of 3.99 metres and take on compact dimensions during transport. It is an extraordinary working tool that is always up to the demanding tasks it is given.”
The feedback to the CMC range has been extremely positive and the brand has been widely accepted across numerous industries.
“The over-riding feedback has been positive and relates to the quality of the product. We have most models on the ground in Australia, and with the specifications we believe to be essential, we are certain that we have the right lift to suit our customers requirements,” said Sam.
“Clients have been impressed by the capabilities of the CMC range. Certain lifts can be placed on hillsides and on rough terrain and still find a firm footing, with other lifts offering a small outrigger footprint for tight access jobs.”
With the support of the Italian factory, Global Machinery Sales has maintained strong levels of stock throughout the pandemic, and this will continue.
“With assistance from the factory, we will continue to maintain high levels of stock over the next 12–24 months. Customers can be confident we are in a position where stock is on hand and will be able to deliver in a timely manner,” said Sam.
As the national distributor for CMC, Global Machinery Sales is focused on providing the right solution for customers and this includes technical support and service.
“Our technical sales team is well trained on the CMC range of hydraulic crawler aerial work platforms, and they are focused on providing the right machine for the right application. We also have a national support and service network.
“The reality is, our CMC products rarely have problems, and when there is an issue, it is more often user error and easily fixed with a simple phone,” said Sam.
“We have technical experts in the organisation who can provide support if an issue does arise and all the machines come with remote diagnostic capabilities, which allow the head office in Italy to look at the machine if it is outside of our capabilities.”
CMC continues to develop its brand and is committed to delivering high quality equipment across the globe.
“CMC have just bought a research and development company, which highlights how hungry they are to keep growing and improving their offering” he said.
Global Machinery Sales is so confident in the CMC machines that the company has grown its rental fleet with the CMC lifts at the centre.
“We have really begun to grow our hire options for these CMC machines, which allows us to put our money where our mouth is and demonstrate how fantastic the range is.
“Customers have been hiring units from us and operate them for a few weeks. They see the capabilities of CMC spider lifts and understand how beneficial they are in construction and lifting applications. After they’ve hired them, the customer generally comes back and purchases units to permanently place them in their fleets,” said Sam.