Looking for the bright side of the construction crane market has taken considerable effort in the last few years, but an uptick in sales in the first half of 2017 and an increased level of interest from customers has crane manufacturers reevaluating their product lines and rental firms shoring up their distribution channels.
“We’re not out of the woods yet, but we’re getting out of the woods,” says Chuck Yengst, president of equipment industry analyst Yengst Associates. “Setting last year aside—because that was really not a good year for anybody in the crane business—I can say that things are going to improve, and I see them improving from a psychological standpoint already.”