Ton up

The 2006 IC 50 has grown more than 10% this year to include 100 companies in the main list alone, the largest in its 11-year history. The other significant change is that the main IC Index, like the Tower Index, is calculated using maximum load moment ratings in tonne- metres, rather than the total fleet's lifting capacity as used previously.

The change was made on the suggestion of several companies already in the IC 50, notably ones that own large high capacity cranes, which lift their maximum capacity to much greater radii than the standard 3 m. The idea is that using the maximum load moment rating reflects this extra capability and gives a better idea of the lifting power of those rental companies with high capacity cranes that often have attachments to increase capacity at long radii.

As a result of this alteration to the ranking method, there is a change at the top of the table where Lampson International has taken the number one position from Maxim Crane Works. Mammoet has remained in second place while Maxim moves to third.

Other significant moves in the table, which are due to fleet changes and/or to the new rating method, include a three-place rise for Hovago, which moves it into the top 10. Now just outide the top ten is Turkish heavy lift specialist Sarilar Heavy Lift and Transport, which has leapt from 36th to 12th place, having recently invested heavily in its fleet. Making a jump of ten places to 11th is Tiong Woon Crane and Transport based in Singapore. Also on the way up is Sanghvi Movers in India, which has improved its position by three places.

Non-movers in the top twenty are Essex, Sarens and Sterling. Al Jaber Heavy Lift & Transport is a new entry at number 18. Some of the 15 companies listed for the first time include Boom Logistics, J.F Lomma, Sims Crane & Equipment, W.O Grubb Crane Rental, Salerno SCS, Agiris and Conmaco.

There are always companies that do not quite make the listing so a special mention this year goes to crane rental and transport company, Alfred Klug, based in South East Germany, which finished 101st, missing out on making the final listing by the narrowest of margins. It could be different next year.

Estimation

All companies in the list are contacted and given the opportunity to supply fleet information and other data. In some cases where no data is submitted, or it is incomplete, we have based a company's equipment fleet figure on IC estimates due to the lack of information.

As the vast majority of crane-owning companies are privately held, it can be difficult to obtain and verify figures, although we do approach independent industry figures to court their opinions. •