IAPA 2020 shortlist announced

The shortlist for the International Awards for Powered Access (IAPAs) has been announced.

There was an incredible response from the industry to the 2020 edition of the IAPAs, with a record 130 entries. The quality of the entries was also very high across the board, making a challenging decision process for the judging panel, made up of five longstanding access experts.

This year’s IAPAs take place in London, UK, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel Kensington, on 23 April, which is regulary attended by around 450 industry proffesionals. There are 12 award categories this year, ranging from new products and innovations to safety and training.

The IAPA organisers Access International and The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) would like to thank the judges for their efforts in carefully considering all the entries and to all those companies and individuals who entered. If you did not make it on to the shortlist this year, please try again next year.

Shortlist 2020

Access Rental Company of the Year

• Advanced Access Platforms, UK
• AFI, UK/Middle East
• Mateco, Luxemburg
• Shanghai Horizon, China
• Star Platforms, UK

Digital Development Award

• AST - safety logbook
• Genie - Lift Connect
• RCB - digital solutions
• Riwal - digital initiatives

The IAPA Innovative Technology Prize

• Dingli – boom design
• Hinowa - TeleCrawler13
• JLG - mobile control app
• Ruthmann - Ampero TBR 250 E

Contribution to Safe Working at Height

• EIDE - Embragatges i Derivats - manual release centrifugal brake (DBQ)
• Genie - Super-sized platform
• Outriggerpads - online outrigger pad calculator
• Serious Labs - PAL+ training programnes

Product of the Year – Mast climbing work platforms/hoists

• Alimak - MC 650
• Hydro Mobile - S Series Transport platform
• Maber Hoist - Liftshaft Hoist MBA800/150-SRV
• Scanclimber - Heavy Duty (MCWP-HD)
• XL Industries - XE5 Top-down Hoist

Product of the Year – Scissor lifts & vertical mast platforms (low level access, vertical mast booms, pusharound platforms, stock pickers)

• Dingli - JCPT1612DCB
• Faraone - Elevah 75 Tires
• Genie - Global Spec GS Scissor
• Imer - IM 17220 E
• JLG - DSP-M
• Snorkel - S3019E

Product of the Year – Self Propelled Booms & Atrium Lifts

• Genie Z-45 FE Boom
• JLG - EC articulating booms
• Manitou - 200 ATJE
• Niftylft - HR17NE
• Platform Basket - Spider 43T
• Teupen - Leo35Tplus

Product of the Year – Vehicle mounted platforms

• Oil & Steel - Snake 147
• Ruthmann - Steiger TB 300
• Socage - ForSte 37DJ Speed
• Versalift - VTL-120

IPAF member companies and individuals only category shortlists:

IPAF Training Centre of the Year 

• AMP Sales & Services, USA
• AST, Germany
• Kompetenzzentrum für Arbeitssicherheit, Switzerland
• Korea Rental Corporation, South Korea

IPAF Training instructor of the Year

• Andrew Williams - UTN Training
• Richard Abercrombie - Openreach
• Uta Koch - Arbeitsbühnen Koch
• Young Chun Cho - Korea Training Corporation

IPAF/Access International Lifetime Achievement Award

The winner of IPAF/Access International Lifetime Achievement Award will be announced on the night of ceremony.

Access Photograph of the Year

The Access Photograph of the Year Award has a new sponsor this year. The winner will be announced on the night of the ceremony.

The access photography competition is sponsored by UK rental company Media Access Solutions (MAS), which took over the award from former sponsor Facelift, which was acquired by AFI group earlier this year.

MAS will donate the €1000 prize: €750 for first place, €250 for second place.

The judges

This year’s independent judging panel comprises industry experts with long-standing experience in the business. The judges’ meeting to decide the shortlist took place in London on 13 February. Access International and IPAF would like to thank them for all their efforts.

Erhan Acar

Acar, who has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA, has worked in various sectors as an engineer and service manager, as well as 12 years in the access industry. In 2007 he became after sales service manager for Acarlar Makine, which is a distributor for a range of access platform brands in Turkey and has a rental fleet. Since 2014, he has been general manager for Rent Rise, a pioneering rental company in Turkey.

Malcolm Bowers

Bowers joined the UK access industry in 1970 with Zip Up Hire, a division of Access Equipment. In 1978 he co-founded Access Rental, which was sold to Roskel in 1990, on which he served as board director until 1991. This business was bought by Nationwide. Bowers founded Myrefield Group, specialising in concrete products, in 1991. He sold all three companies in the group, which are all still trading today. In 1998 he formed UK AFI Uplift, leading to a management buyout in 2005. He then co-founded Lifterz in 2006 with his son, which has been acquired by Speedy PLC.

Ian James

James started his career in the access industry with Benfords, in Warwick, UK, in the mid 1980’s having completed a degree sponsored by the currency printers De La Rue. He progressed through area sales, district management to become general manager EAME for Grove Manlift. The last 20 years have been spent with Bronto Skylift in various sales roles predominantly looking after the UK distribution.

Norty Turner

Turner is the president of IPAF and the SVP of Services and Advanced Solutions at United Rentals. He is responsible for expanding its businesses in areas such as servicing and management of customer fleets, training, and Advanced Solutions - in areas such as autonomous vehicles and wearable technology. He joined United after leaving Riwal in October 2018, where he was CEO for six and a half years.

Dan Vorsholt

Vorsholt has been in the rental business since 1991 and for the last 23 years at GSV, the largest rental company in Denmark. With an engineering background, Vorsholt has been CEO at the company since 2008, and prior to that held a range of positions, including fleet management. For the last four years he has also been in charge of purchasing and integrating four Denmark-based rental companies into GSV, which has created its market leading position.

NON-VOTING chairman of the judging panel: Euan Youdale, editor, Access International.