Bibilift, Point-of-Rental and Manitou Take Top RER Innovative Prizes
ReachMaster’s Bibilift 26-BL track-mounted scissorlift, Point-of-Rental Software’s Contract Fulfillment, and Manitou’s MRT 3255 Privilege Plus rotating telescopic handler have won the top three prizes in RER’s annual Innovative Product Award. Voted on by a panel of more than a dozen rental industry participants, the three products were awarded the top prizes in a field of about 40 entries.
In winning the Gold award, ReachMaster’s Bibilift was named on the most ballots and received the most first-place votes. The product, previously unknown to the panel of voters, is a scissorlift on a track-mounted chassis that can drive on sloped and soft surfaces and can set up and reach full height on sloped or uneven ground without the use of outriggers because of its patent-pending bi-levelling feature. The unit features a 25 feet, 11 inch working height and has both a 220-volt electric motor and a Honda gasoline engine. It has proportional controls, 550 pound basket capacity and weighs only 4400 pounds.
To check out the Bibilift in action, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svC2xmy3prE.
Point-of-Rental Software, winner of the Gold award last year for its Cloud system, won the Silver prize for 2015 with its Contract Fulfillment software, which is designed to provide a rental company the ability to stage and return rental items in real time communicating every step of the process to the entire rental organization as it happens. The feature optimizes mobility by utilizing tablet devices in the yard, while offsite staff can gain access through Point-of-Rental’s Mobile Workforce application on mobile devices. Integrated with RFID, orders can be filled and returned utilizing a RFID reader to provide precision counting and instant validation of rental contracts. Meanwhile the Blind Return feature allows for quick and accurate processing of items, regardless of how many contracts are involved.
The Bronze prize goes to a company long respected for engineering excellence, Manitou for its MRT 3255 Privilege Plus rotating telescopic handler, which has a lifting height of 103 feet, 4 inches and the ability to rotate between telehandler, winch and platform modes. The unit can essentially function like an aerial work platform or a small crane as well as a large telehandler. The E-Reco attachment-recognition system automatically attaches the proper load chart for recognized attachments.
To take a look at the MRT 3255 in action, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTVwEVT4czM.
RER will be providing more information about the prize winners in its December issue and on rermag.com. Each category winner and all of the 2015 Innovative Product Award entries will be profiled in print and online in the coming months.
Other category winners include: Atlas Copco for compaction equipment; Doosan Portable Power for compressors/air tools; MTA Distributors for concrete-working equipment; Morbark Boxer for cutting/drilling equipment; Case Construction Equipment for earthmoving equipment; Perkins Engines Ltd. for engines; Cummins Power Generation for generators; Honda Power Equipment for lawn & garden equipment; Generac for light towers; JLG for material handling equipment; Makinex in the miscellaneous category; Hilti for power tools; and United Academy powered by United Rentals in technology enhancements.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.