Bil-Jax warns scaffolders against waiting to buy
Access International
June 2008

The rising price of steel will very soon impact on the price of scaffolding, warns Bil-Jax, a US manufacturer of scaffolding and aerial work platforms.

Bil-Jax's CEO, Jeff Ott, suggests that scaffold customers protect themselves from rising costs by securing their purchases now rather than waiting. "It is clear," he says, "that scaffold prices will continue to rise, given the nearly 100% increase in steel price in five short months with no end in sight. Scaffolding bought today will only cost more in the foreseeable future."

According to Ed Karasz of Allied Tube and Conduit, a major US supplier of scaffold tubing, "Mechanical tubing has increased in cost over 85% this year as a result of demand for steel coil exceeding capacity on the world market by at least 20%. Just getting coil at any price has become in many cases impossible."

US manufacturers use around 130 million tons of steel a year, of which only 110 million tons are produced in the USA. The imports which used to make up the shortfall from countries such as Russia, India and China are now being used in these countries' home markets so the USA finds itself with a shortfall.

Read the full article in KHL's Online Edition of Access International.