The Kiloutou Group’s success story continues: in 2016, the French No. 2 and European No. 4 in the rental market continued to grow and symbolically passed the 500 million euro mark. In 2017, in addition to consolidating its network, the group intends to strengthen its actions to simplify the daily life of professionals thanks to new services and an equipment offer that meets their new needs.
Consolidation of the European network
The Kiloutou Group’s sustained growth was once again confirmed in 2016, reaching a turnover of €532 million, representing an increase of 15% compared to 2015.
While consolidating its position as number two in the French rental market, the group also accelerated its international development. It consolidated its position as European No. 4 by establishing itself in Germany (acquisition of Starlift) while strengthening its positions in Poland (market No. 2) and Spain (acquisition of Alvecon). The group’s activity outside France already represents 6% of its turnover.
At the end of 2016, the Kiloutou Group had a network of 460 generalist and specialist branches, including 46 outside France, and 4,000 employees and teammates.
For 2017, the development strategy of the multi-specialist rental company will be based on the fundamentals that have made it successful:
- Consolidation of its branch network through internal and external growth, both in its domestic market and internationally;
- Continued diversification of its activities, which today enables it to offer specialist agencies in Civil Engineering, Access, Modular Space, Reception, and more recently in Energy following the acquisition of C.A.L.
Strengthening responsible actions
For the Kiloutou Group, this development strategy can only be successful if it respects its commitment to responsible behaviour based on social, environmental and economic initiatives.
This policy enabled it to be awarded, in 2016, the brand new Sustainable Development Award by the European Rental Association (ERA).
More recently, on 21 February 2017, these commitments enabled the Kiloutou Group to be certified by the Top Employers Institute for the quality of its employer value proposition. This label distinguishes the best employers worldwide, applying the highest criteria of excellence in terms of working conditions.
The Kiloutou Group’s responsible commitments were reinforced in 2017 by major actions:
- To meet the challenge of safety, the rental company has just joined the International Powered Access Equipment Federation (IPAF), whose objective is to promote the safe and efficient use of such equipment. This membership of the IPAF reinforces the system put in place in France to meet the safety challenge of Kiloutou’s team members and equipment users thanks to the partnership with the two reference entities in terms of prevention and safety: the OPPBTP(1) and IRIS-ST(2);
- To continue to improve its Carbon Footprint, a programme to reduce energy consumption in Kiloutou’s branches was launched at the beginning of the year. It will complement the eco-driving training provided to drivers of heavy goods vehicles used to deliver materials to construction sites;
- The Kiloutou Qualifying School will welcome its third class. It will give about ten young people the opportunity to take part in a work-study programme to become maintenance technicians for public works and handling equipment. At the end of the training, the student will be hired at his or her place of apprenticeship.
A range of new services including Kiloutou insurance
For several years, the Kiloutou Group has been accelerating the development of its initiatives to simplify the lives of its customers by providing them with multi-channel access to its expertise: customisable Marketplace available on the internet for rental management, CACES training, etc.
In 2017, the Kiloutou Group continued this dynamic by developing new services. Two of them have been designed to meet the daily needs of professionals with greater agility and responsiveness:
- A Technical Assistance application simplifies on-site equipment repairs. Designed to optimise response times, this unique application makes it possible to manage breakdown requests, to immediately geolocate technicians located near the site concerned, to monitor machine problem resolutions in real time, etc.
- A Customer Relations Centre, open from 6.30 am until 6.30 pm, enables all requests to be answered as soon as possible.
At the same time, a new service has been added to the rental company’s offer: Kiloutou Insurance. The result of two years’ work, this offer, designed with the insurer AXA, enables Kiloutou to offer, in its own name, a very extensive insurance cover for equipment breakdown. Unique on the market, it offers a single contract for all equipment based on a simple offer of 3 deductible levels: €75, €250 or €500 excluding VAT.
New range of equipment to meet the new challenges of professionals
In order to respond expertly to the needs of its highly diversified professional customers, the Kiloutou Group will continue to invest 110 million euros in equipment, representing 2,500 machines.
This year, the renewal of the fleet is marked by a range of new equipment. Sometimes co-designed by Kiloutou and its customers in collaboration with equipment manufacturers, they have been selected for their ability to provide solutions adapted to the new challenges faced by professionals looking for solutions that respect the environment, occupational health and safety on the worksite and facilitate access to complex worksites.
Amongst these new products, the Kiloutou 2017 Catalogue offers professionals:
A complete range of remote-controlled demolition robots
Representing the first fleet of remote-controlled demolition robots on the French market offered by a generalist rental company, this range consists of 5 models (Brokk 60, 100, 160, 260, 400) and their accessories (hammers, concrete shears, scrap metal shears, buckets, cutters, grapples, etc.). Designed to carry out rapid interior demolition work in confined spaces, these high-powered remote-controlled robots are characterised by their small size, great manoeuvrability and electric motorisation. The result: high performance while ensuring ease of use and safety.
A wheel loader with 100% electric drive
This wheel loader is equipped with two electric motors: one motor for the drive system and the other for the hydraulic system. With zero emissions and very low noise levels, it is particularly suitable for use in urban and indoor areas. Its design ensures up to 41% savings on operating costs and a significant reduction in maintenance and servicing expenses. With a range of up to 5 hours, it has the same performance as conventional wheel loaders.
A battery-powered ramming machine
This ramming machine protects both the environment and the user during compaction work. Thanks to the zero-emission operating principle, it can be used even in poorly ventilated trenches or sensitive areas. A specially designed parallel handle guide ensures a low level of hand-arm vibration. Maintenance-free, this ramming machine offers up to 55% lower operating costs than petrol models. The cordless ramming machine allows complete freedom of movement.
A low height motorless platform
Kiloutou already has a wide and deep range of aerial work platforms, and is the first rental company to invest in the market for low-level motorless aerial work platforms. It can be used indoors and outdoors and meets the need for greater safety: its self-locking wheels and guardrail prevent the risk of tripping, slipping or losing balance. With a working height of up to 4.20 m and a weight of 335 kg, this low-level platform is a solution for access in industry and on construction sites.
A high-performance rebar cutter
Compact and lightweight, this concrete reinforcing bar cutter is no less safe and efficient. In terms of safety, its fully enclosed head allows only the rod to pass through and ensures a cut without rebound or sparks. In terms of performance, it can cut concrete reinforcing bars from 6 to 20 mm in diameter and tubes up to 22 mm. Equipped with a flat housing, it facilitates flush cutting.
A pneumatic concrete breaker
Lightweight (21 kg), this pneumatic concrete breaker has been designed to provide maximum comfort to its user: its fixed handle is anti-vibration (< 5m/s²). Closed and secured, it is also slimmed down, like the cylinder, to offer a better view of the working field and a better posture for the operator.
Keen to provide solutions to needs for which the equipment on offer is not optimised, Kiloutou, in collaboration with manufacturers, co-designs existing equipment in order to provide its customers with an adapted solution. The latest examples:
A battery-powered electric dumper
A major construction company is increasingly called upon to redistribute old buildings. However, the structure of these buildings, such as the exterior walls, must be preserved. It is therefore not possible to use conventional means to evacuate the rubble or to bring concrete and building materials to each part of the site. As the work is carried out indoors, it is not possible to use combustion engines. With no alternative, the work is done using manual means. Kiloutou’s solution: the creation of an electric dumper on wheels combining battery-powered transport equipment and co-designed accessories that can be easily changed and adapted to the different phases of the site: rubble removal, concrete transport and material handling. Particular attention has been paid to the capacities of this wheeled electric dumper and its autonomy. Result: in addition to the equipment already in the catalogue, Kiloutou has integrated into its range :
- An electric wheelbarrow – dumper with a payload of 1 T
- A 400 l capacity concrete bucket for this dumper
- A rubble skip with a 950 kg payload
A material lifter
A major construction company regularly needs to lift stools on a rehabilitation site. Following tests carried out on the site, Kiloutou co-designed a material lifter whose suction cups, initially intended for lifting glazing, were replaced by a hydraulic clamp.
(1) Organisme professionnel de prévention du bâtiment et des travaux publics (2) Institut de recherche et d’innovation sur la santé et la sécurité au travail