The entertainment industry relies on aerial work platforms, but it takes a specialized approach to capture the business.
Aerial work platforms are among the most widely used pieces of equipment on a movie studio set. They lift cameras into elevated positions for overhead shots, move lights where they're needed and are used extensively for set construction and removal. Almost every production requires aerial work platforms, and most productions call for multiple units.
In Southern California, a prime location for the entertainment industry, Lance Sorensen, a 16-year rental industry veteran, surveyed his customers and others in the area to determine the potential for a new organization that would be built and managed around the unique aerial equipment needs of the entertainment industry. He determined the type of equipment used most often in that industry, the sizes and quantities required at various times, and the level of service necessary to meet demanding and often fast-changing schedules.
Producers of movies, television shows, commercials and concerts aren't typical rental customers. Facing critical deadlines and tight schedules, they work all day setting up shots to capture just a few brief moments on film. Timing is everything. Miss the right amount of daylight, and they might have to wait an entire day for the next opportunity. If they don't have the right equipment on hand, they might miss those few minutes when the natural light is just right. Sorensen's survey confirmed that in the entertainment business there is no room for a rental equipment supplier that can't deliver on time, every time.
Sorensen and Kevin Rodgers, president of National Equipment Services, Evanston, Ill., devised a plan with the goal of becoming the premier supplier of aerial equipment to the entertainment industry. In October 1998, NES purchased Rebel Studio Rental in Los Angeles, changed its name to NES Studio Equipment and installed Sorensen as president. Rebel's aerial fleet consisted of about 150 boom lifts and scissor lifts. But the plan called for a fleet of newer equipment that could provide increased operating capabilities.
During the first 18 months of operation, NES Studio Equipment purchased more than $15 million in new telescoping boom lifts, articulating boom lifts, scissor lifts and vertical personnel lifts with specifications and capabilities based on the data collected in Sorensen's survey. As NES bought the new equipment, it sold the existing Rebel fleet. Today, none of the more than 500 machines in the NES Studio Equipment fleet is more than 16 months old.
JLG Industries, McConnellsburg, Pa., supplied NES with factory-finished boom lifts with a special nonreflective black paint. JLG set up a sales and service team to work with NES to ensure that the machines met the specifications required for studio work and developed a special maintenance program.
"You have to be able to react quickly and respond to customer requests at any time of the day or night in the entertainment industry," says Jon Hansen, marketing/sales manager. "Everything is based on time - having the right equipment on time, being able to start filming on time and having the equipment removed from the site on time. With production costs of up to $50,000 per hour, there's no room for suppliers that can't work within the time constraints of the industry. Suppliers to this industry must deliver as promised, or they will be replaced."
Sorensen set up sales/service teams assigned to serve major studios and a separate team to work with TV production companies. Realizing the importance of prompt delivery, NES set up a transportation department that employs 11 full-time drivers, including two on the night shift, to deliver and pick up equipment. The company also purchased eight multipurpose 18-wheel semi trucks, one rollback truck and three stakebed pickups dedicated solely to delivery.
Because rentals in the entertainment industry are often short-term - one to two days - keeping equipment in top working condition and ready to go out on a moment's notice is important. The NES service department consists of 12 full-time employees. When machines come off rent, they immediately are sent to the service department for a complete inspection. Machines are cleaned, repairs are made if necessary, batteries are charged, and the machines are ready to go back into service within hours. On critical shoots, NES assigns a service technician to be on location with the equipment to ensure uninterrupted usage.
Last month NES Studio Equipment moved into a remodeled facility previously used as a small-aircraft hangar on the outskirts of Van Nuys Airport. It has 32,000 square feet of enclosed space for service and storage of equipment. NES supplies most major studio production companies, including Universal Studios, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Sony, Disney and Raleigh.
Successful niche marketing with aerial work platforms is possible as long as you know what it takes to meet your customers' needs, create a workable plan of action and stay focused on the goal.
JLG
The 600SC series crawler boom lifts from JLG can traverse surfaces such as deep mud, fine sand and soft snow, according to the manufacturer. The tracks measure 19.6 inches wide by 140 inches long to create ground-bearing pressure of 5.45 pounds per square inch. Model 660SJC (pictured) has a platform height of 66 feet with a horizontal outreach of 56 feet, 9 inches. Each unit is designed for maneuvering in any direction from the platform even while the boom is elevated.
Genie
New options on the TMZ-34/19 trailer-mounted boom include Genie's hydraulic leveling system, a manual rotating platform mechanism, an improved retractable axle design, trailer brakes and integrated forklift pockets. The platform height measures 34 feet, and the range of jib motion is 130 degrees.
Snorkel
The Snorkel 12/34J towable boom has a working height of more than 40 feet and a platform capacity of 440 pounds. The platform moves parallel to the work surface while the boom is raised up to 20 feet. Other features include a tow bar and hydraulic disc brakes with a parking brake.
Mayville
Powered by a 48-volt electrical system, the 43E articulating boom lift from Mayville Engineering Co. has an outreach of 30 feet, 3 inches, a working height of 49 feet and a 500-pound-capacity platform with 180-degree rotation. The 32-by-58-inch platform accommodates two people. The unit travels up to 3 mph through narrow aisles and around obstructions.
Bil-Jax
The XLT-1571 Stockpicker lift from Bil-Jax has a 500-pound lifting capacity and can be used for applications requiring a material lift, a personnel lift or a stock picker. The unit features nonmarking casters to prevent floor damage, a removable battery, an optional beeper/light to warn passers-by when the machine is in use, an adjustable guardrail that allows access from three sides and an expanded metal deck that is slip-resistant. The unit is available with working heights of 16 feet and 21 feet.
UpRight
UpRight expanded its XRT scissor lift line with electric models of the XRT27 and XRT33. Both units feature 48-volt electrical systems, rear-wheel drive and platforms that measure 4 feet, 10 inches wide by 10 feet, 11 inches long with the roll-out deck fully extended. The XRT27E has a working height of 33 feet, a platform capacity of 1,250 pounds and 40 percent gradeability. The XRT33E has a working height of 39 feet, a platform capacity of 1,000 pounds and grade-ability of 35 percent.
Skyjack
The SJ-1000 series of rough-terrain scissor lifts from Skyjack offers two models: the 9250 and the 9250AL. Power options include a dual fuel (gas/propane) or a 28-horsepower Kubota diesel engine. Each unit features a working height of 56 feet, a 74-by-168-inch platform, independently operated leveling hydraulic outriggers and 25 percent gradeability. The 9250 has a lifting capacity of 2,000 pounds, and the 9250AL can lift 1,350 pounds.
Loegering
Designed for Genie aerial work platforms, the tracking system from Loegering increases traction and flotation in adverse conditions. The track, combined with a wheel and idler system, maximizes the productivity of Genie units, according to the manufacturer.
Sky Climber
The MKD Dual work platform from Sky Climber features an end stirrup that can receive panels from other Sky Climber products. According to the manufacturer, the MKD Dual increases the surface working area by nearly 30 inches and complies with OSHA requirements when used 12 inches or less from the face of the work area.
AmeriQuip
Built to stretch up and over hard-to-access job sites, the Eagle T-50 offers up to 50 feet of working height and up to 25 feet of side reach. It has a lifting hook with a capacity of 400 pounds and a basket capacity of 300 pounds. The unit is designed to be mounted on a 15,000 gross vehicle weight truck. For ease of operation, the T-50 features 360-degree continuous rotation, proportional controls, automatic bucket leveling and hydraulic stabilizers.
Elliott
The ECA-41 telescopic articulating aerial work platform features a 46-foot working height and a 29-foot side reach. The operator bucket measures 24 inches by 48 inches. The unit mounts onto a 17,500-pound chassis.
Beta Max Hoist
The Max Climber 2000 rack-and-pinion system can lift 2,000 pounds up to 400 feet. Safety features include upper and lower limit detection, a downward interruption sensor and an emergency over-speed brake. Travel speeds range from 36 to 80 feet per minute.
Time Condor
The T80 and T86J (pictured) self-propelled telescopic platforms feature General Motors 80-horsepower, water-cooled gas engines; 360-degree continuous turret rotation; and 60-by-36-inch, 500-pound capacity platforms. The T86J has a working height of 92 feet, an overall width of 8 feet, 2 inches, and a gross weight of 32,600 pounds.
