Gulf Construction Online - MyCrane enters UAE, Oman with new partners

Cranes

Geikalo (left) signs the deal with Vishensky.

MyCrane enters UAE, Oman with new partners

MyCrane marked a grand entry into the region’s market at The Big 5 show last month, where it appointed franchisees to facilitate the crane procurement process for customers.

01 October 2021

MyCrane, the world’s first digital platform for the search and selection of cranes, has appointed new franchisees in four countries, marking the launch of its operations in the key markets of the UAE, Oman, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

The appointments, confirmed during The Big 5 construction trade show held in Dubai last month, sees the opening of MyCrane offices in Dubai, Muscat, Nur-Sultan and Tashkent.

The global business-to-business (B2B) platform – accessed at www.my-crane.com – simplifies the process of crane rental procurement, allowing users to submit details of their lifting requirements in order to receive personalised quotes from a range of registered crane providers.

Launched in Russia in July this year, MyCrane was developed by seasoned industry executive Andrei Geikalo, a former commercial director at heavy lift specialist Mammoet.

The service, operated in countries around the world by a network of local franchisees supported by MyCrane’s head office team in Dubai, offers cranes with a capacity of between 6 and 750 tonnes.

Welcoming his new partners, Geikalo says: “The confirmation of four franchisees so soon after our launch is a testament to the strength of the MyCrane concept. Our new partners share our passion for changing the way the crane rental business works, and we would now be happy to hear from other entrepreneurs who may be interested in operating MyCrane in their home country.”

Elaborating on the role of these franchisees to Gulf Construction, Geikalo says: “Our local franchise partners are responsible for running all aspects of the MyCrane service in their home countries. They are not responsible for crane stock; rather they facilitate the procurement of a crane by allowing customers to access quotes from a range of registered equipment providers. When a customer accepts a crane rental via the MyCrane site, a three-party agreement is made between the customer, crane provider and MyCrane’s local franchisee. The client pays the charges for crane rental to the franchise company, which subsequently pays the crane provider (after deducting a fee).”

For the first time, customers using the platform can simply and quickly request a crawler, mobile or tower crane without having to rely on manual processes, such as calling suppliers or making multiple offline requests.

“Our business in the UAE and Oman is operated by Kirill Vishensky, a seasoned executive in the logistics business, and his team. While the MyCrane head office is located in Dubai, we recognise that the UAE is an extremely active and important market which requires a dedicated team to service it and handle local operations,” he explains.

MyCrane has also opened discussions with potential partners across the region, including in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, “where numerous huge projects are planned and we see great potential for MyCrane. We would be delighted to hear from any entrepreneurs who are interested in operating our service in their home country,” Geikalo adds.

Drawing on the management team’s experience in the industry, the innovative platform has been carefully designed to ensure ease of use, and that the quotes generated are directly comparable. Registration is free for both users and equipment rental companies.

Besides being the world’s first digital tool for the search and selection of cranes, MyCrane offers a number of other valuable services, states Geikalo. These include legal consultancy and an online Marketplace for the sale and purchase of used equipment, rigging equipment, spare parts and auxiliaries, plus career vacancies.

“We also offer in-house engineering and technical support on a truly independent basis, which is an important distinction, and something that’s highly valued by our clients,” he remarks.

A news portal allows users to stay up to date with the latest industry developments, while in-house support services such as engineering and legal consultancy are also available.

Commenting on the response to the platform, he says: “The response has been very encouraging, with major names in the crane rental market registering, and strong interest from customers who are very impressed with the time, effort and stress they save with our platform. We will shortly announce the signing of a MoU with an EPCM heavily focused on the Russian market, which is another encouraging development.”

“As the first digital platform of its kind anywhere in the world, we see a lot of interest, which is generating registrations on the site, both by customers and equipment providers, as well as franchise enquiries. When we launched our service on Instagram in Russia, I was very surprised at the level of interest generated using this tool and we quickly recruited scores of equipment providers!” he remarks.