Lavendon Invests In Cte's Power Tower

Introduced Power Tower platforms from CTE UK, with the majority going to its Nationwide rental subsidiary in the UK. Nationwide was scheduled to take delivery of the first machines at the end of May and has had some on trial since last December.

The Power Tower is a push–around, 5.1 m working height model that has been co–developed by CTE UK and a Midlands–based engineering and fabrication company, with input from Lavendon. The platform uses a single articulated boom to provide a vertical lift motion. Although not a conventional scissor lift, the 5.1 m vertical lift platform will offer an alternative to access towers and small electric scissors.

Lavendon has reached a “preferred lead customer” agreement with CTE UK that will see Nationwide take most of the first 300 machines and the option for several hundred more over the next 12 months. Lavendon will also sell the Power Tower in the UK.

Lavendon does not, however, have exclusive rights. One other major customer is Planet Platforms, which ordered 200 Power Towers and will sell them to small rental companies and some end users in the UK.

Peter Douglas, Nationwide's commercial director, said the machine would meet a demand for an easily transportable platform for low level working; “The number of applications is enormous, from M &E and Facilities Management through to the end–user market where the Power Tower could replace the traditional smaller aluminium towers used everywhere from to factories to hospitals”.

He said the platform offers some benefits over other low–level access platforms; “[Its] working height of 5.1 m, a 250 kg safe working load and platform size of 1500 mm x 650 mm that gives the user room for tools and equipment. An overall width of only 780 mm enables access through standard doorways while a patented castor mechanism automatically locks the castors on elevation. At only 310 kg the Power Tower is easily pushed around by one person.”

The UK will be the main initial focus for Power Tower sales – mainly on the back of demand following the introduction of the Working at Height Regulations – but the product is CE marked and the long term intention is to market it internationally.