Three Part Contract Keeps Snorkels Running for Norshipco

"We've owned aerial work platforms before," says Stan Blankenship, superintendent at Norshipco in Norfolk, Va., "but it just didn't pay off for us. When we had breakdowns, we had to divert personnel to repair the equipment rather than working on ships, parts were sometimes hard to get and operational training was an issue that we weren't dealing with properly. "So we decided to find a company that could get us the machines we needed, provide the service required to keep them running reliably and give our workers training to operate the equipment properly and safely. "What we needed was a comprehensive package that would get us booms and could be counted on to do it reliably and safely. When we talked with United Rentals (Formerly Industrial Lift Equipment) of Newport News, Va., we found they could give us everything we wanted - machines, service and training." United Rentals recommended a three-part contract rather than a traditional "lease only" contract, which would include the lease of Snorkel telescoping booms, use of Snorkel's exclusive operator training program and a scheduled maintenance program. At present, Norshipco is half way through the three year agreement, and it is proving to be a winner.