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Dossier ‘Machinery and equipment’ | Construir

In an interview with the newspaper Construir for the section ‘Machinery and Equipment’:

Taking a snapshot of the Construction Machinery and Equipment sector in Portugal, what is the current situation and are there any uncertainties?

The construction market in Portugal shows positive signs for 2025, with growth forecast to be higher than in previous years, mainly driven by the needs of the housing market and public investment (according to AICCOPN data). These positive signals are reflected in the machinery and equipment market. However, global political and economic changes could change this scenario, which always entails a lot of uncertainty.

The development of new technologies and labour shortages have increased the demand for this type of machinery, which over the years has become better, more efficient and smaller. This makes them more practical to transport and handle on site. They have become true partners in the construction industry.

Safety issues have also played an important role in the growth of machine and equipment rental in the construction sector. In recent years we have seen an increase in restrictions on the lifting of loads permitted by humans. This in itself has increased awareness and demand for rental equipment suitable for this type of service. Primarily mini cranes or spider cranes. These are small and handy pieces of equipment, with enormous dexterity and precision, which have the ability to reach where the human hand cannot.

Is there a significant volume of equipment rental or is the expression residual?

Not all companies in the sector have the capacity to acquire this equipment, and with the different needs of each project, it is difficult to have more than one type of equipment to cover all needs. Renting these machines allows for greater flexibility and access to up-to-date technologies without large capital investments.

It is therefore more sustainable and efficient to rent specific equipment on an ad hoc basis and for as long as needed.

There has also been an evolution in machine tools with the integration of computers and electric motors that allow for increased precision of operation. In the case of glass facades, this is an added value due to the concern for solutions that reduce costs due to breakage or loss of material and increase productivity.

What are the challenges currently faced by companies operating in this segment?

The rental of equipment and lifting platforms faces a number of challenges, in particular the ‘installation cost’.  The cost of transporting these small pieces of equipment is sometimes more expensive than the rental itself, which means investing in strategically located ‘distribution centres’ to provide a better response to the customer.

Operators need to be certified, and not all organisations have people qualified to operate these machines.

Maintenance is also a concern. The lack of experience in handling this equipment means that they come back to Almovi with maintenance and workshop needs. That is why we have a team of specialists and maintenance technicians, so that all our machines, as well as those of the companies that have already acquired this equipment, can be kept 100% operational. However, the shortage of technical manpower is also a challenge.

What are the main innovations the company is investing in at the moment and how do they differentiate it from what is on the market?

At the end of 2024 Almovi acquired new equipment, not only reinforcing its regular fleet, but also expanding the type of offer with the acquisition of higher capacity mini-cranes and robots with tools for more specific and precise services. In addition to investing in the rental of lifting equipment, it has also invested in the acquisition of land clearing equipment, in order to meet the numerous needs of local authorities and some private individuals in this segment. Together with the reinforcement of our technical assistance teams, we have increased the responsiveness of our services.

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