Journalist, Molly Cooper speaks to Antonia Price, head of marketing for LGH and Rotrex in the Netherlands, Germany, UK, Belgium and France about their participation at AntwerpXL.
LGH is an independent company that started back in 1970. It has since been growing across Europe and North America, but is still owned by the same family.
‘LGH has business globally and is the largest organisation in the world that is exclusively devoted to the rental of lifting and moving equipment. In terms of the range and size of equipment, we hold the most comprehensive inventory in the world,’ says Price. The equipment that
LGH rents is from manufacturers leading in innovation, safety and the quality of materials they use.
THE BUSINESS
The company has been around for over 50 years and has a strong reputation in the industry. ‘The company culture and what we stand for has remained the same since the 1970s. It’s focusing on the highest quality of service and exceeding customer expectations,’ says Price. She believes that the reason LGH has grown so strongly is because it has the knowledge and puts the customer first every time.
LGH never compromises on safety. ‘When you compromise on safety, that’s where people get hurt. Equipment gets broken and breakbulk loads get damaged. We like to assure our customers that equipment rented to lift and move cargo is being supported by the best equipment in the industry that has been rigorously tested and certified by our team,’ explains Price.
WHAT LGH DOES
In recent years, the breakbulk industry has faced some challenges, particularly about the type of cargo that is being moved. It is increasingly complex and oversized and a lot more heavy breakbulk cargo is being moved around.
‘This is where LGH stands out, with more specialist and high capacity equipment,’ says Price.
The second biggest challenge LGH are seeing is costs. ‘Fuel prices, port fees, labour costs. As a rental company we know that time is money. Being cost efficient is key,’ says Price.
LGH stands out when it comes to heavy lift projects – with equipment ranging from capacities of 500kg to 1,000 tonnes. ‘The kit we have is specialised in what it does. It moves and lifts complex cargo safely and efficiently,’ says Price.
LGH offers a wide range of equipment for rental including:
NO NEED TO BUY, RENT
Buying a piece of specialist equipment could carry a lead time of several weeks, but LGH’s rental model means it could be with the customer the same day.
‘Renting is more cost-efficient, not just on purchasing but maintenance, and storage costs. LGH customers are supported with decades of lifting expertise when they rent equipment. I always like to use the metaphor: you wouldn’t go and buy a car for a two-week holiday. So why would you buy equipment you only need for a couple of weeks or months at a time’ says Price.
‘With locations in the UK and Europe, we cover both coastlines of the North Sea. We’ve had projects where we supported the loading cargo onto a ship on the Port of Blythe, in the UK, and then we’ve also had the equipment available in Netherlands for unloading, so we are responsible for the equipment on both sides, this simplifies the equipment rental process for our customers. Companies use us because they know we are reliable and ensure projects run smoothly– and we really want to show that off,’ says Price.
LOOKING FORWARD TO ANTWERPXL
LGH has not been to AntwerpXL before, but once it saw who the visitors would be, it seemed like an opportunity the team couldn’t miss. Price says: ‘We know breakbulk is growing and we want to be a bigger part of it. There’s still a huge market that may not know us, so getting to speak to those people at AntwerpXL will be great.’
Price encourages all visitors to LGH’s stand (collaboration zone counter 4) to speak to the team. ‘AntwerpXL is giving us the opportunity to showcase the added value and explain the benefits of LGH to shippers, port authorities, the consignees, freight forwarders, project managers and lifting consultants. They’ve got a reliable partner in us, and it’s certainly worth having that conversation and seeing where we could support,’ says Price. ‘We’re here to just make life easier and provide those possibilities with our specialist equipment. I’m certainly looking forward to it,’ says Price.
Don’t forget to register now for AntwerpXL on 28-30th November at the Antwerp Expo: AntwerpXL 2023 (visitcloud.com)
Or join LGH and book your stand today!
Author: Molly Cooper, AntwerpXL
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