ITC conference opens in Barcelona

The International Tower Crane (ITC) 2023 conference opened in Barcelona with a keynote address by Miguel Cerezo, CEO at Spanish tower crane rental and sales company Gruas Cerezo.

More than 200 delegates at the 2023 ITC conference in Barcelona. Photo: KHL

Cerezo provided up to date information on Spain’s tower crane market, highlighting the dramatic impact of the 2007-8 financial crisis. In 2005 there were 18,000 tower cranes and 650 rental companies in the country, compared to 7,500 cranes and 180 companies today.

His own company saw a decline in revenues from €11.8 million in 2007 to a low of €0.8 million in 2014.

“It was an extremely difficult period. Companies that survived, and that are still operating under the same name, had to prove their resilience,” said Cerezo.

He told delegates that the crisis also changed the structure of the market, with 85 per cent of tower cranes now owned by rental companies compared to 60 % before the crisis.

Larger cranes are in demand

Cerezo said the demand for larger tower cranes was increasing every day in Spain, in response to a greater focus on civil construction and high rise buildings in cities, as well as a trend towards prefabrication construction techniques.

The conference was opened by Jorge Cuartero, managing director at ANMOPyC. He provided an overview of Spain’s construction market, reporting that the market was growing, although not dramatically.

“We notice that the Spanish enonomy is starting to slow down. But the construction has been behaving well in comparison to the general economy.”

Cuartero said public spending on construction was driving growth but the residential sector was stagnating; “Overall, we don’t see massive growth, but the construction market is growing.”

The event started on Tuesday 13 June with a visit to the Sagrada Familia cathedral in the city, during which delegates heard from Antonio Figueroa of Ibergruas and Carlos Pimenta, Manitowoc Portugal, about the Potain cranes being used on the construction of Gaudi’s cathedral. Both men gave a detailed presentation on the project during the ITC conference.

Delegates during the tour of La Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona, Spain, as part of the 2023 ITC tower crane conference. Photo: KHL