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la t io n s h i p s
Page 46
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Road transport plays a pivotal role in the construction industry. CM went along to the annual SED Construction Show at Rockingham Speedway to check out the vehicles and other products on display.
Words: an Tonkin / Images: Graham Richardson The recession has taken its toll on virtually every sector of the market, but it's the construction and road haulage industries that have been two of the hardest hit.
Nevertheless, the SED Show the national show for the construction industry still went ahead last month, albeit at half the size it was in 2008. Even more
promisingly, many of the managing directors CM spoke to during the event were optimistic of a turnaround in fortunes.
Mark Carrington, group managing director of King Vehicle Engineering, says: -Our order book is looking as good as it did six months ago. Strangely, though, our volume side of the business has dropped off, but other areas are keeping us going."
Only way is up Nigel Houghton, director of Nooteboom's UK distributor HSE Limited, adds: "December and January were really quiet months, but there's a general feeling we're bouncing on the bottom of the market.
"We've noticed increased activity and interest in our products; hopefully it's a sign of things to come."
So, with observations like these, all may not be lost in the construction industry just yet. Here are some of the high points of the show... •