Italian tower crane market recovers

Tower crane sales and production in Italy increased strongly during 2015, according to figures released by Italian construction equipment association UNACEA. The rise was a part of a wider recovery in the country’s construction equipment industry, UNACEA said.

The value of tower cranes manufactured in and exported from Italy in 2015 was €188 million (US$205 million), up 21 % from the €155 million ($ 169 million) in 2014. Imports of tower cranes in 2015 were €17 million ($ 19 million), up 235 % from €5 million ($5.5 million) in 2014. UNACEA attributed the above figures to the Italian Institute for Statistics (Istat) and market analysis company Prometeia.

In terms of units sold, total sales of construction equipment of all types surveyed by UNACEA in Italy in 2015 was up 34 % at 9,138 units from the 6,800 units in 2014. Equipment surveyed was earthmoving and road machinery.

“After the darkest years of the crisis, Italy seems to have taken the right path of a gradual recovery,” said Paolo Venturi, UNACEA president. “Close two consecutive years in growth can only be a good result for the industry; however, to fully understand the trend, it must be remembered that this is a more than moderate growth in absolute terms, because it came after six years of heavy losses that have reduced the domestic market by 80 %,” Venturi continued.