Delivering maximum flexibility

Rental is a fresh challenge that has been welcomed by Cobemat, the authorised Hitachi dealer for Brittany, Loire-Atlantique and Normandy in north-west France. Demand for rental equipment is increasing across the 39 departments that Cobemat covers, particularly in construction and civil engineering.

The right machine for the job

“Our territories are experiencing positive economic growth, but customers, and especially SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) aren’t able to invest in a large fleet,” explains Cobemat’s Managing Director David Rodier. “They also need versatility, but it’s difficult to invest in all these things at the same time.”

The dealer focuses on mid-term rental contracts of three to six months, offering excavators from the ZX85USB-5 to ZX690LCH-6 and wheel loaders from the ZW150-6 to ZW310-6 through the Hitachi Premium Rental programme. They also offer used machines on a rental basis at a lower cost under their rental ‘umbrella’, Cobeloc.

One of Cobemat’s first Premium Rental customers was Société Robert Chevillard TP, a rental company based in Rennes, which supplies machines with operators to customers carrying out earthmoving or construction projects. Since November 2018, it has been renting a ZX145W-6 wheeled excavator on a monthly contract.

The company selected the ZX145W-6 because it needed a machine similar in size to its existing ZX140W-5, with a short-tail swing and two-piece boom. Between May and September 2019, the ZX145W-6 was being used on the construction of a new metro station to connect the suburb of Cesson-Sévigné to Rennes.

Ready for action

“We like the flexibility of renting the ZX145W-6,” says Manager Christophe Talarmin. “If there is no work, then there is no cost for this machine. We appreciate the support we receive from Cobemat; the machine is constantly monitored. This is important for us, because when our customers call, the machine has to be ready the next day.

“We’re likely to use the Premium Rental programme again. It allows us to demonstrate the efficiency of our Hitachi equipment to customers and meet their requirements with a competitive offer.”