Mast climbing community gets behind IAPAs

Mike Pitt, owner of USA-based Mastclimbers LLC, has called on members of the mast climbing sector to attend the IAPA awards and IPAF Summit in Miami on 26 March.

Mr Pitt made the plea in a letter on behalf of the Mastclimbing Group of manufacturers, rental companies and fleet owners.

“It’s been a tough recession, and it’s not over yet, but signs of improvement are there, enquiries are growing in number, manufacturers and rental companies are looking forward,” said Pitt.

“They’re hiring again in limited numbers and some of the most prestigious manufacturers in the access business are reporting significant quarter on quarter, year-on-year growth, and one of the hardest hit sectors of the powered access industry was the mast climber industry.”

Mr Pitt added that mast climbing companies in Europe and the US wanted to promote their presence in the access industry and the International Awards for Powered Access (IAPA) and IPAF Summit would provide the ideal opportunity.

“The IPAF Summit and the IAPAs is just the type of industry gathering where our industry sector can publicise its readiness, its new products, its new ideas and its potential to domestic and international markets.”

Mr Pitt said members of the Mastclimbing Group would be contacting companies in the sector to urge them to join mast climbing-specific tables at the IAPAs, enter the awards and attend the summit.

“If we all work together in a spirit of camaraderie and share a number of tables at the awards dinner, as well as appear in numbers on the IAPA shortlist for the awards themselves, it will be a strong message to the industry and the marketplace.”

Information about the IPAF Summit and IAPAs, including awards categories and entry forms, can be found at www.iapa-summit.info. The deadline is the 21 December 2012, but an extension to that deadline is expected in the coming days.