1 mins
TOP OF THE TABLE
EDITOR Andy Brown andy.brown@khl.com +44 (0)1892 786224
It has been said that if you aren’t moving forwards then you are going backwards. I don’t think even the harshest critic of construction could accuse it of this – everywhere you look there are new developments: new equipment powered by alternative sources such as electric, hydrogen and HVO, new technology being implemented such as the contractor Ferrovial launching a new AI assistant for its employees, to ambitious construction projects – there is a lot that we can say about Saudi Arabia’s The Line but we can’t accuse it of a lack of ambition.
Another thing that changes is the order of OEMs on the Yellow Table – our exclusive ranking of the world’s top 50 construction OEMs by sales – and the total figure for their combined sales. The last Yellow Table saw the combined sales of the top 50 reach its highest ever amount – astaggering US$232.7 billion.
Given that 2021 saw Off-Highway Research record 1.2 million pieces of new construction equipment sold (also the highest ever figure) the record dollar value of the Yellow Table was not a complete surprise. Turn to page 21 to see what the total figure is in the new table and what companies have climbed the table and which ones have slid down.
In this issue we also cover some of the topics touched upon at the start of this editor’s letter. There’s an interview with Rich Humphrey from Bentley Systems on how the industry can be transformed by tech, a feature looking at what alternative power sources might be best placed to rival diesel, as well as articles on road construction, drilling and foundations, and what it is really like to build in the Antarctic when the temperature is a long way below zero and the wind is whipping at your face. There’s also an interview with Jason Conklin from Caterpillar. The OEM have long held the top position on the Yellow Table. Sometimes staying in the same place is what it’s all about.