As construction continues its slow recovery, sales of new construction machines are expected to remain muted next year, with flat to slightly positive movement in 2013, analysts say. The market expects rental companies and dealers that operate rental lots to drive much of the sales, as they did this year.
Rentals on the jobsite continue to grow as contractors keep a close eye on their balance sheets. Caterpillar sells 35% of new machines to rental fleets, said Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman earlier this year at the Bauma exhibition in Munich. He expects that percentage to rise soon to as high as 50%. "That means their dealer organization is going to have to put anywhere between $3 billion to $4 billion of new equipment on their balance sheets," says Frank Manfredi, an equipment analyst in Mundelein, Ill. "The dealers are in the rental business whether they want to be or not, and it's a big business."