Mycrane, the digital disruptor for the cranes and construction sector, has appointed industry veteran Piet Kraaijeveld as its new chief operating officer, thus strengthening the global management team of the Dubai-headquartered group.

Based in Dubai, Kraaijeveld’s task will be to grow the Mycrane business in all respects, including working with the crane rental platform’s existing franchisees around the world, and encouraging global energy, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors to register as customers on the site.

He will also oversee sales activities to the full range of Mycrane clients, including prime contractors, ports, petrochemical and mining operators, said a statement from the company.

Mycrane has pioneered a free-to-use, digital crane rental service, allowing users to post their lifting requirements free of charge online. Crane rental companies then respond directly with their commercial offers, eliminating the need for customers to make multiple offline requests, it stated.

Other Mycrane services include a free crane Selector tool to help identify the right crane, advice for engineering, project management and support, and a Marketplace where equipment, rigging equipment, spare parts, auxiliaries and industry vacancies can be posted.

Andrei Geikalo and Allan Taylor signing the franchise agreement

Born in the Netherlands, Kraaijeveld has 30 years’ experience in the heavy lift and transport industry, working on multiple continents including North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

He spent 11 years at General Electric and has extensive industry contacts among the EPC community, as well as the heavy lift and construction sectors.

Kraaijeveld also spent 18 years in management roles at global heavy lift and engineering specialist Mammoet, serving in both Canada and Dubai, said the statement.

Welcoming Kraaijeveld to the fold, Mycrane Founder and CEO Andrei Geikalo said: “He is a proven leader with deep experience in our sector and it is a pleasure to have him join Mycrane in this critical role.”

“I’ve no doubt his extensive international connections and entrepreneurial spirit will be a great asset to Mycrane as we continue to roll out our service in more global markets,” he added.

Kraaijeveld said: “This is an exciting move for me because Mycrane is offering much-needed change in the construction sector. I can’t wait to get started and help customers save time and money on the cranes procurement process.”

He had most recently worked in Dubai as strategic account manager for Ritchie Bros, the international auctioneer for heavy industrial equipment.

ENTERING NEW MARKETS

Meanwhile, Mycrane has recently expanded its presence to three key Asia-Pacific markets and appointed franchisees in Europe as well.

Earlier, the Dubai-based company said it is set to roll out the world’s first online crane rental platform in three key Asia-Pacific (APAC) markets, following the signing of a franchise agreement covering Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

A key player in the region, Mycrane said its best-known tool is its free-to-use crane rental service, which allows customers to save valuable time and money by entering details of their lifting requirements on a carefully-designed web portal.

Registered crane rental companies then respond with their commercial offer, allowing them to select the most attractive proposal and award the job directly on Mycrane’s website.

The platform also offers a suite of other services including support for engineering, a free-to-use Selector tool, which enables users to identify the right crane for their lift, and a Marketplace where equipment, rigging equipment, spare parts, auxiliaries and industry vacancies can be posted.

The franchise for Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia has been taken by Singapore-based Allan Taylor, an experienced executive who was previously employed at Mammoet and has extensive experience in the petroleum industry.

Mycrane CEO and founder Andrei Geikalo, himself a former commercial director at Mammoet, said: “We are delighted to welcome Taylor at a time of great opportunity for those serving the thriving cranes and construction industry in Asia. APAC is often seen as an exciting region for business development – and with good reason.”

Apac countries are expected to generate considerable activity for crane operators in the coming years. The construction industry in Indonesia, for example, is likely to record growth of 7.2 per cent in real terms in 2022, surpassing pre-pandemic output levels, according to data and analytics company GlobalData.

It also noted that the Indonesian government has allocated $27.1 billion for infrastructure development including six new airports, 6,624 km of railway and 205 km of new road.

Taylor said: “I am looking forward to helping equipment suppliers in the three countries to increase the utilisation of their fleets, while also working with contractors to help them save time and money on the crane procurement process. I can’t wait to get started with Mycrane and welcome local crane suppliers and contractors to get in touch to learn more about the benefits.”

Mycrane operates on a franchise basis and enquires are welcomed from entrepreneurs who may be interested in operating the platform in their home countries.

Franchise holders are responsible for recruiting crane rental providers to the platform and marketing the service to customers. They earn a commission when projects are awarded using Mycrane.

Geikalo said: “As the world rebuilds following protracted pandemic disruption, countries in APAC are expected to continue their ambitious infrastructure plans in the coming years. Mycrane will be well-placed to serve the local cranes and construction industries when we shortly begin operations in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.”

“In the meantime we continue to explore ways to roll out our services in other key Asian markets such as China, Malaysia and Vietnam,” he added.

EUROPE, QATAR MARKET

Mycrane, also announced its big expansion into Europe with the appointment of franchise holders for the UK and Ireland. A rapidly-growing digital crane rental platform, Mycrane, (www.my-crane.com) signed a similar deal for the Qatar market too along with the other two at the recent Cranes and Transport Middle East conference held in Dubai.

These franchisees will be responsible for providing the full range of Mycrane services – which include the world’s first online crane rental platform, a Marketplace and support for engineering and site surveys – in their respective markets, it stated.

They are already in the process of registering local crane rental companies on the platform, and will shortly be marketing the service to customers, it added.

Commenting on the appointments, Geikalo said: “Entering the European market is an exciting moment for Mycrane, which will soon be operational in three more important countries.”

“With its burgeoning renewables sector, the UK will see a huge requirement for cranes of all sizes up to the 750 tonne class - not only for installation, but also for component movements, offloads and storage. Besides renewables, there is a growing nuclear sector and infrastructure projects such as HS2 and the Liverpool dock expansion.

“Similarly, we are delighted to welcome our new partner for Qatar, which remains one of the fastest growing global construction markets, owing to the vast number of infrastructure, housing, rail and many other projects currently underway,” he added.

The UK and Ireland business is headed by Managing Director Mike Bryant, a former sales manager at ALE, which was acquired by Mammoet in 2020.

Bryant subsequently worked for global freight forwarders Deugro and DB Schenker in project management and business development roles.

His franchise partners are Peter Edwards and Luke King, who have worked for the last 15 years as publishers in the heavy lift and breakbulk sector.

In Qatar, Mycrane will be owned and operated by Ant Dynamics, a Doha-based provider of heavy lift and transportation engineering services.

Managing director Kamal Kassab has over 18 years’ experience in the heavy lift sector, working on major projects for the construction of oil and gas plants, civil works and football stadiums. He also holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the American University of Beirut.

Kassab said: “As a company committed to raising the standards of lifting operations in the Middle East, Ant Dynamics is pleased to operate Mycrane in Qatar. We are confident that users of the Mycrane online platform will appreciate the benefits of selecting the right crane for the right job at a fair rate.”