GMG, Global Machinery Group, Inc., an American company with locations in California and The Netherlands has entered the global aerial work platform industry.
GMG’s focus is on equipment used in the rental markets, including access, earthmoving, and industrial equipment.
GMG CEO Jim Tolle said: “GMG’s basic principal is simple, to provide customers with better solutions for their equipment needs."
Tolle says the GMG will focus on three key ideas.
Tolle further commented: “The GMG team is made up of seasoned veterans. We understand the equipment business. We know what works and what doesn’t. We know what our customers go through in order to maintain a successful business."
Tolle added, "It isn’t easy for rental companies in today’s market to be competitive but still offer reliable equipment and yet remain profitable. It is quite simple, GMG products are high quality, innovative, long lasting machines at wholesale pricing, it doesn’t need to be anything else.”
GMG will unveil its new line of electric slab scissor lifts at Vertikal Days in Silverstone, Northamptionshire, UK on May 24-25.
The New models include: 10-ft. (3m) 1030-PA; 13-ft. (4m) 1330-ED; 19-ft. (6m) 1930-ED; 26-ft. (8m) 2632-ED; 33-ft. (10m) 3346-ED; 40-ft. (12m) 4046-ED; and 46-ft. (14m) 4646-ED.
All self-propelled models feature direct electric drive for whisper-quiet operation and extended duty cycles.
GMG will be unveiling additional products in the 3rd quarter of 2017.
In a one-on-one phone interview with Lift and Access, Tolle said that GMG will "make the kind of lifts that we ourselves would want to own if we ran a rental company."
He said that GMG products would be utterly reliable, with structural components built to exacting quality standards and purchased components coming from top-quality suppliers, like Advanced Dc Motors, DeltaTech Controls, and HydraForce.
Tolle says that the scissor lifts are being manufactured in China, but to the highest standards. "There are at least 80 scissor-lift manufacturers in China. Some are awful, and some are really good. We have partnered with a really good one and have set high quality standards."
Tolle says that the idea is to produce high quality structures with labor that is relatively low cost, and combine them with purchased components that are also of high quality to deliver lifts that are the industry's best at an extremely competitive price.
As an example of attention to quality, he cites the three-step painting process that coats the scissor arms inside and out. "We use a high-quality paint system from Germany and we take care to prepare the metal, then apply a very aggressive and tough primer, followed by a durable top coat," he says.
Tolle adds that the painting is done before the scissor stack is assembled in order to make sure no spot is missed.
He also says that the new line's signature color is an almost-neon yellow platform and chassis with a gray scissor stack in between. "We've chosen the colors so the equipment will be distinctive and, more importantly, easy to see in dimly lit work sites," says Tolle.
For the scissor lifts, at least, GMG plans to handle most service calls by phone, with regional service tech backup when needed.
The first key to that is having equipment that doesn't break down, which Tolle says should be no problem given the attention GMG is paying to quality during design and production of its products.
The second key to service success lies with GMG's customers. "Our prime customers are rental companies, most of whom have skilled mechanics on staff," says Tolle. "It's rare that one of those technicians can't fix a scissor lift with a little advice over the phone from an expert."
However, Tolle says that when a tech is needed, an expert from the customer's region will be sent in person.
Tolle says that so far potential customers' reactions have been good. He says the sales people are reporting that they're hearing "I'm interested in several, but I'll take two to try, first."
Look for the first of the neon-yellow and gray lifts to start showing up in North America in late May or early June.
Lift & Access is part of the Catalyst Communications Network publication family.
