Exhibitor Profile: Cormidi

Dumpers in demand

Cormidi UK reports steady growth in sales of its tracked dumpers, and believes that the trend shows no signs of slowing. Alan Guthrie reports from the company’s Haydock headquarters.

Cormidi UK’s rapid growth reflects both the on-going boom in compact plant and the ability of the Haydock-based business to spot an emergent market. Since its formation in 2004, the company has seen sales of its tracked dumpers and carriers to hirers steadily increasing, whose typical customers include landscape contractors and small builders for use in tandem with mini excavators and for moving materials on site.

“We realised there was huge potential for machines like these, if they offered the performance that hirers and end users needed, together with rugged build quality,” states Managing Director Keith Bradbury. “When we first saw the Cormidi machines at an exhibition, we immediately saw that they offered the right features and were very well engineered. We visited the company at its Italian headquarters and talked about fine-tuning them to meet the specific needs of UK customers. We were convinced we could build a market for them, and this has proved to be the case, having achieved sales growth in this country of approximately 40% per year. To meet demand, the Italian factory is being expanded to give double the production capacity, and we have increased our own dealer network, which now totals 11 companies throughout the UK and Eire. Cormidi UK is totally focused on supplying tracked compact dumpers, and nothing else.”

Various configurations

A comprehensive range of models are offered, incorporating various options and configurations. Machines are available with carrying capacities from 500-1800kg, with standard, high-tip or self-loading configurations. Models can be fitted with petrol or diesel engines, and narrow, or ultra-narrow, variants are included in the line-up. “All feature an undercarriage specifically designed for the application, rather than being adapted from a readily available, but unsuitable, mini excavator undercarriage,” contends Keith Bradbury. “They also have tracks with ‘rocking rollers’, whereby two rollers share a pivot, enabling ground contours to be followed more accurately. Demand is growing for all model sizes because they offer a safer and more efficient solution to manual handling tasks.

“The machines are ideal for hire fleets. Our Cormidi 65 650kg-payload units are popular for hire with 0.75-tonne ‘micro’ excavators, for example, while the Cormidi 800 machines, which have an 800kg carrying capacity, are suitable for use with a 1.5-tonne mini, as they have similar dimensions.” High-tip versions incorporate a specially designed undercarriage to enable the machine to be positioned very close to the rim of a skip for more effective discharge, greater clearance and enhanced stability.

Cormidi UK says that the most popular machine is currently the 500kg-capacity 6.50 high-tip, ultra-narrow model with a diesel engine and electric start. Also popular is the 800kg capacity 10.80 ranges, featuring a new Yanmar diesel engine with a specially developed soundproofing enclosure. A 1.5-tonne capacity version is currently under development, and is expected to be ready to be launched on the company’s stand at the Executive Hire Show in February, along with a swivel skip model.

One of the first companies to add Cormidi tracked dumpers to its hire fleet was Hire Center (now Brandon), which offers 6.50 high-tip models alongside its mini excavator line-up. “Its fleet has steadily been expanded, and the machines are available from branches throughout the country,” says Keith Bradbury. “Certainly, demand for this sort of product is booming, and this reflects the continuing strength of the mini excavator hire market. The trend shows no signs of diminishing, and so demand for tracked dumpers should represent a strong opportunity for hirers for a considerable time to come.” •

T 01942 727227
W www.cormidi.co.uk

Executive Hire News › Archives › January/February 2008 › Exhibitor Profile: Cormidi › Dumpers in demand

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