Construction World July 2015

> DIARY AND APPOINTMENTS

PRE-BAUMA OPTIMISM

This is one of the reasons why the market in construction machinery and building materials machinery Last year North America and Europewere themost dynam- ic construction machinery markets in the world. And according to market experts, this trend could continue in 2015. > is in an upbeat mood in this ‘pre-bauma year’, despite all the political uncertainties. The next edition of bauma takes place from 11 to 17 April 2016 at the Messe München exhibition center. The industry associations are seeing good prospects for the construction machinery and buildingmachinerymarket in the current global market. Things are going well for the customers, the building industry is growing, and demand is there – not only in Europe, but above all worldwide. The market in Europe is also picking up again, and the European construction industry is no longer hitting the head- lines for the wrong reasons. According to market researchers at Euroconstruct, all the segments in the building industry in Europe will recover in 2015. According to the industry associations, China – the world’s biggest market for constructionmachinery – will stabilise in the current year, although initially at a low level. fleets, but some recovery is predicted. The statistics company Statista is forecasting the market for construction machinery in China will reach a value of almost USD44-billion in 2015. Also picking up, alongside the traditional markets, are the markets of the Near and Middle East. The building sector in Saudi Arabia, for example, is currently one of the fastest growing sectors of the country’s economy, according to Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI). In the medium term, too, this high level of state investment in expanding the transport infrastructure will ensure above-average growth for the sector. The market in India, too, according to sector insiders, should also move forward again. The consultants at off-highway research are expecting sales of construction machinery by latest 2016, in this, the seventh- largest country on earth, to regain the highest level reached so far, in 2011.

PASSION TO GROW Master Builders Association North recently completed its fourth Small Builders Development Course with 23 students ‘graduating’ after six months' attendance of the fortnightly, after-hours course at the MBA North premises in Midrand. The students of the 2014/15 MBA North Small Builders Development Course, pictured after 'graduation' with MBA staff and course sponsors also in attendance.

Freedom Property Fund Dr Nakedi Mathews Phosa, independent non-executive director. APPOINTMENTS > Johnson Tiles Warrick Taag, architectural specifier. IS Group Guinevere Thomas, group marketing and communi- cations manager. SMEC Gerrit Lok, general manager resources – Africa. Chris Jennings, MD of MBA North member, Eight J Construction, who has been the lecturer at the courses since inception, says it is always gratifying to see the enthusiasm, commitment and interaction between the students from diverse backgrounds and companies, at the lectures. "We try to teach them all they need to run a successful small building operation: from preparing to visit their bank manager, how to equip and run an office, how to do pricing and tenders, and how to administer a contract," Jennings stated. "It is wonderful that the drop-out rate at the courses is always relatively small whichmust mean that the students are finding the tuitionworthwhile." He added that the constant challenge many of the small builders have to overcome is a lack of

accounting, even plain arithmetic, skills. "This is probably a legacy from the education they received in the past. But their passion for growing their busi- ness more than makes up for that," Jennings felt. Five of the students who completed the course travelled all the way from Mbombela (Nelspruit) every second Saturday to attend the classes. The primary sponsors for the 2014/15 course were Federated Employers' Mutual (FEM) Assur- ance, Bosch, the Construction Industry Develop- ment Board (CIDB), as well as MBA North members Archstone Construction, Giuricich Construction, Robenco Construction, Fintrex and lecturer, Chris Jennings' company, Eight J Construction. For further information about future courses, contact Sarah Mnyandu on tel 011 315 0300 or email sarah@mbanorth.co.za

60

CONSTRUCTION WORLD JULY 2015