More than 170 participants met at the European Rental Association’s June convention in Berlin to celebrate the association’s first anniversary. The organization has grown steadily over the past year, and now represents more than 4,200 rental companies in Europe, either directly or through 11 national rental associations. ERA president Gerard Deprez, chief executive of France-based Loxam, Europe’s largest rental company, said the association is planning to create a rental show for rental companies, equipment manufacturers in cooperation with KHL Group.

Chairmen of four working ERA committees — statistics, norms and safety, general rental conditions and promotion — presented their work in the past year and plans for the year to come.

Tim Whiteman of aerial safety advocate IPAF, chairman of the statistics committee, outlined the results of the “best estimate” of Europe’s rental market for 2006. The committee’s research indicates there are around 14,000 rental companies in Europe, operating about 21,000 branches, employing 165,000 people and producing an annual volume of €21.5 billion (about U.S. $29 billion). The committee plans to confirm the research with a study by a market research company.

Kevin Minton, from the Hire Association Europe and chair of the Committee on Norms and Safety discussed mapping studies carried out by the committee on in-service inspection of construction equipment and training requirements for operators in Europe’s major rental markets. The data can be conveyed to decision makers in European Union institutions such as the European Committee for Standardization.

Pedro Torres of Spanish aerial rental company Euroloc and chairman of the Committee on General Rental Conditions presented the first results of the committee’s work on a checklist of optimal rental conditions in 12 areas such as the rental period, installation of machinery or energy charges.

Jorg Bachmann from MVS Zeppelin and chairman of the Committee on Promotion showed progress toward an association website and the development of a “Good Reasons to Rent” brochure.